


If I Had You

by kingofmischief



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Norse Mythology, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Explicit Sexual Content, FrostIron - Freeform, Gang Rape, Good Loki, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Implied Mpreg, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Suicide Atemp, Intersex Jotunn (Marvel), IronFrost - Freeform, Loki Angst, Loki Feels, Loki Has Issues, Loki's Kids, Multi, Odin's A+ Parenting, Original Character(s), Past Rape/Non-con, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Slow Build, Tony Angst, Tony Feels, Tony Has Issues, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-11
Updated: 2018-08-02
Packaged: 2018-08-14 10:22:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 37
Words: 106,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8009914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kingofmischief/pseuds/kingofmischief
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Something was... off. Tony couldn’t really say what it was but something just didn’t seem right, aside from all the Alien God, Magic, Voodoo, crater thing. “Run a full diagnostic” What's he looking for? He should really be calling for back up, but something was odd and his curiosity got the better of him. "Compare his current magic readings with S.H.I.E.L.D.’s database and our own.” Did he want to alert SHIELD of Loki’s reappearance? Why wouldn’t he? “Do it subtly, gotta check a few things before the Angry Pirate gets his hook on him” </p><p>“Very well, Sir. Mr. Loki seems to suffer severe hemorraging, some of his organs are on the verge of shutting down. He has 3 fractured ribs, one collapsed lung, his left shoulder is dislocated and has multiple fractures along the arm. His rectum is severely wounded, some of the muscles are ripped and bleeding. He has also suffered a concussion that has him on the verge of unconsciousness.” Said J.</p><p>“Damn, did the Hulk play Bob the Builder and use him as the hammer? Why's his magic not healing him?" Asked Tony.</p><p>“The test you issued, Sir, indicates his magical readings are significantly lower by 88%. If treatment is not administered with the utmost urgency, he will die”</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Pathetic

**Author's Note:**

> AN: Ooooook this is my first fanfic ever. This is odd, yet in a good way. Please excuse me if it's weird, I've never written before and also please don't kill me for that beginning, it's important for the story. *hides*
> 
> Also the song for the first part(Loki's) of this chapter is Blinding by Florence and the Machine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay first Chapter!
> 
> Here’s a discord server if anyone’s is interested in talking about this fanfic or contacting me X3  
> https://discord.gg/zwKsXWV

Pathetic. That is which all this really was. Nothing they did would possibly work. No matter how determined or stubborn they were to act. You cannot break something that has already been broken beyond repair. You could cause more nightmares, more pain, more trauma... Yet what would truly be the point, if all were things that already existed within him? Nothing, nothing but supposed ' _justice',_ as they liked to called it. Justice for crimes half of which he committed to protect the wretched realm he once called _'home'_  . Half not of his own choosing. Deeds he was forcibly made to do.

But what did it matter? Even if he were to ever admit to any of it, no one would see it. No one could see that it was not his behavior to perform in such manner. It was beyond their comprehension what was in or out of character for the trickster. No one knew him, not even himself.  _That_ was what hurt most. “…Sentimentality” he muttered to himself. Well, it would seem they might have succeeded, even if just a little, if he was feeling such things as hurt.

The whip came down again on his bloodied back and he struggled to hold back a whimper. He refused to submit to such pointless acts. He would not give them the satisfaction of seeing him break, even if he was already broken inside. Broken beyond repair certainly, he thought. He had truly become what they all had claimed him to be. The God of Chaos, of Lies, of Fire and Destruction. A true  _Monster_.

He laughed, but the sound was cut short as another whip came down on his back, if he could even call it that anymore. There was not much left of it. The burning pain turned his laugh into a harsh gasp he was unable to hide. _Darn,_ he thought.

He could not see it, but he could sense the hungry grin his abuser was giving him. He hated to admit it, but he felt a small amount of fear for the punishments this particular guardsman made him go through. They were pointless, but still, he feared them. Most of the time he would just fog his mind with the help of a bit of magic. That way he would not have to remember what had transpired. But some guards, like this one, had somehow figured out his trick. Knowing this they managed to get their filthy disgusting hands on a few medical potions. They were used to clear the mind of magical attacks and they would use them to ensure he was on high alert whenever they played with him.

This one in particular, along with a few wretched companions of his, would like to have just a tad more fun with him than what was 'necessary'. They loved to see him whimper, see him suffer and beg. He managed to almost never plead in words, as he refused to submit to them. But very few time they managed to drag the sounds out of him. Oh, how they relished the moments.

“Oh?... did I just hear our precious little darling beg for a little more? Hm?” He felt the guard get closer and place a hand on his shoulder, making him hiss in pain. “Fret not my pretty little dearie, our companions are not here today, but I will have a bit of fun with you in their place…” He could feel the predatory grin and hungry eyes as they traveled down his body.

“No… plea…” he bit his tongue, but knew the other had heard him... he cursed his bleeding tongue for its betrayal. He had not meant to answer but the fear was slowly growing stronger with each time it happened. He tried and tried, again and again, to remind himself that he could not be broken further. But as the other neared him, dread sunk in the bottom of his stomach.

“Yes.. Beg little princess, beg until you cannot beg any more. Until your throat is hoarse and maybe, just maybe, I’ll let you enjoy it a little... I’ll let you enjoy pain like you have never felt it before…”

* * *

“DUMMY, I SWEAR I WILL DONATE YOU TO A STATE COLLEGE OR SIMPLY SELL YOU FOR SCRAP METAL IF YOU SPRAY ME ONE MORE FREAKING TIME WITH THE DAMN FIRE-EXTINGUISHER!!” screamed the engineer to his poor invention. He'd been trying to test his new bracelets. They allowed the armor too, not only fly to him when needed, but it also had small repulsors that would not burn out after one use. The first few tests made his clothes catch fire and left a nasty burn on his left forearm.

He’d been cursing all night. He knew better than to try to work after fighting with Pepper. It always led to bodily harm and that would only make her angrier. Why should he care tho'? He'd been banned from drinking by her and his AI (traitor) after he had passed out on the fountain in front of his house. He'd had on only the upper part of the suit and boxers on his lower half. At least he hadn’t been stark naked, (ha, he loved using that one whenever he could). But they'd insisted that it was wrong and that he needed to stop. Which only led to him try to drink more which led to other accidents and his current ban from anything alcohol. Oh and the little detail of his already unstable relationship with Pepper dissolving back into nothing more than a boss-employee one.

He should probably feel shitty and angry about that but everything had been going downhill since the “Manhattan incident” as everyone liked to call it. Just say alien attack people! Anyway, nothing had really changed but everything felt so different.

He couldn’t really understand it well but after seeing what he saw beyond that portal... After being in space, probably billions of light years away, he just couldn't see everything around him as before. The sight had been terrifying and it still sent a strong chill down his spine. It had been the fuel to so many of his nightmares.

He’d been called a genius (except by his father) all his life and everyone (except his father) had insisted that the things he created were the most advanced technology the universe had ever seen! And he had been so sure that it was true... Until now...

After the incident though, everything he had known all his life had been thrown back at his face. Aliens, Gods, Alien Gods, it had all been too much for him. It had all seemed so advanced and beyond his reach. But somewhere deep down, buried under all the fear and dread, his scientific side, the engineer, and investigator in him had been marveled by the sight. He wanted to learn more about it. He wanted to understand their machines. He wanted to reverse engineer it all 'till nothing but scraps were left in his hands. And of course, he would then analyze the scraps as well. He had also been intrigued by Loki himself, though he hated that particular fact.

He had been so different. He was not like his brother, which of course could be easily explained by him being adopted, from another completely different realm and species and all. But that was not it, he had been different from most people, or beings he now knew. He was cunning, he was merciless and highly intellectual. He had fooled them all. He singlehandedly outsmarted an entire intelligence organization (which wasn’t so hard since he had done it a million times) but that was just it! He didn’t know anyone else who could do it besides himself. The guy (or god, maybe demi-god?) was seriously smart.

Tony hardly ever entitled anyone besides himself as a genius, only Banner and a few others like that elastic guy. But he was willing to give the damn guy the title. Even if it made him angry to be cataloged anywhere with him in the list. The guy’s head was a bag full of cats. Smart cats, but still vicious, melodramatic, diva cats.

 _“Sir, it seems our satellites have picked up a disturbance in the atmosphere with a 28% similarity to most of Mr. Odinson’s recorded travels between realms. It's highly unstable, mostly similar, with a 72%, to his first recorded visit back in New Mexico.”_ Said Tony's ever vigilant AI, J.A.R.V.I.S.

His first visit? When he was banned and turned mortal? Well, that’s odd... Too odd... Ok not really, maybe he was just being _slightly_ paranoid but still... “Where J.A.R.V.I.S.?” Asked the engineer.

 _“Nevada’s desert, Sir.”_ Answered the AI. Damn, it was a bit of a flight from Malibu... oh well, he’d gone further just for fun. Tony got off the stool and rubbed his sore arm as he walked over towards his suits.

“Prepare my suit J.A.R.V.I.S., I’m kinda bored here and suddenly feel like going to Las Vegas.” Said the avenger with a grin, arms akimbo.

 _“Yes, Sir. Spur of the moment, I'm sure. Most definitely not just concern or simple paranoia.”_ Said sarcastically Tony's faithful partner. The human grinned at one of the cameras on the wall. He couldn’t remember _why_ he had decided to program his AI to have almost the same level of sarcasm as his own, probably to entertain himself, but sometimes he wished he hadn’t. Mostly when its wits were directed towards his creator. 

* * *

It took a lot less to get to the dessert that normally would. Having his own personal flight system had its benefits, even if it came with the burden of having to be a hero. He slowed down the last few miles so he could simply enjoy the ride. He'd always enjoyed flying. He felt so free, even if he was caged inside the suit. It gave him the feeling that he could go anywhere and do anything he liked. Sure, he knew that it wasn’t all that easy, but it still felt good.

Tony was almost disappointed when his HUD displayed that he had arrived and should stop if he didn’t want to just fly over it. But his disappointment only lasted a second as he caught sight of the place where the Bifrost’s landing spot should be and only found a giant crater. Not good. Not good _at all._ This was not a landing site. It was a crash site and crashes never meant anything good. Turning the speakers on his suit off, he instructed his AI in a low voice “J.A.R.V.IS… have the Avenger’s emergency call ready in case something happens...” 

 _“Already set, Sir. I'm picking up a faint heat signature from inside the crater. It seems like someone’s inside, Sir.”_ Commented J.A.V.I.S. as Tony softly landed. As he approached, a small sound came from inside the crater. It sounded like a whimper. He hesitated just a little bit but nevertheless, he walked up to the crater and looked inside. There was certainly a body there but it wasn't the blond Alien. It was covered in blood and burn marks everywhere. Their skin was pale, milky white. They had black hair, matted with dirt and both dried and fresh blood.

Half their face was covered by the hair, so it took Tony a while to register who it was. But he was also distracted since he was admiring how, despite everything, the body was somehow still beautiful. It was sadly covered in dirt and blood and bent in weird places. But he seemed like a broken porcelain doll. It took him only a few moments. But then fear was rooted deep in his spine as he met their eyes, those deep green orbs (hadn’t they been blue before?) that lacked recognition of his surroundings. They were full of fear and desperation. Tony had never seen those emotions on them before, but it was unmistakable.

Yet those emotions only lasted mere moments. They developed into rage and hatred and he let out a high-pitched scream, releasing a massive wave of green energy. This knocked the Iron Man off his feet and sent him hurling a half a dozen feet away. “Whoa! What the hell?! J.A.R.V.I.S what happened?!” His HUD had gone crazy, everything was rebooting and his AI didn’t answer. Great. He should have taken a battle armor, not his speed one.

“J.A.R.V.I.S.? You there, buddy? I reeeally need you right now!” Nothing. His suit was running on manual. Just perfect. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! please comment!


	2. Fear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to try and post a chapter every two weeks, weekends. The first year of Uni = no life/no time.  
> Constructive criticism would be appreciated! ^.^/  
> Just please don't kill me, the hardships are necessary for the story. T-T  
> *Throws chapter and hides*
> 
> Edit: Urg, I just noticed that a few paragraphs at the beginning were missing, I just added them, sep 20, 2016... I recommend reading them.

“Whoa! What the hell?! J.A.R.V.I.S what happened?!” His HUD had gone crazy, everything was rebooting and his AI didn’t answer. Great. He should've taken a battle armor, not his speed one. “J.A.R.V.I.S.? You there, buddy? I reeeally need you right now!” Nothing. His suit was running on manual. Just perfect.

He was offline, with no communications, next to a mass murderer full of magic and crazy. Just peachy. “Just another Sunday morning...” Said the engineer out loud. He got up and scanned for heat signatures, expecting Loki would have sneaked up on him. To his surprise, he was still lying in the center of that crater. Talk about odd.

Carefully he approached the scene and with a little bit of hesitance, peeked into the hole and hid again. Sadly, way too fast to really see anything. “Ooook… One more time…” Once again he peeked in and saw that Loki had not moved an inch. The God was still lying on the ground, limbs facing awkward directions, probably broken, hair over his face, blood, and dirt everywhere. He couldn’t really see if he was breathing from where he stood.

“Well, I’m royally screwed... If he faking or not, my communications are still down so... fuck it” A bit reluctantly, he stood up and went down into the hole, as carefully and silent as he could. Which, was not much considering he was in a giant metal suit with the cloaking still offline. 

 _“Sir, systems are back online, shall I call the Avengers for backup?”_ Stated J.A.R.V.I.S. making Tony jump a bit since he hadn't been paying attention to his HUD... He should have just waited a few more seconds then. Oh well.

“Gimme a sec J.A.R.V.I.S. Not yet” instructed the avenger. He wanted a closer look before doing anything.

Something was... off. He couldn’t really say what it was but something just didn’t seem normal. Well aside from all the Alien God, Magic, Voodoo, crater thing of course. “Run a full diagnostic.” commanded the engineer.

 _“What am I looking for, Sir?”_ Asked the AI.What _was_ he looking for? He should really be calling for back up by now, but something was strange and his curious side always got the better of him. Death had knocked at this cat's door far too many times.

“Damage, exterior and internal. Also, run a test to compare his current magic readings with S.H.I.E.L.D.’s and our own records.” Instructed the human. There was too much red and not enough green puff magic. 

 _"How would you have me to hack into S.H.I.E.L.D.’s databanks? Subtly or quickly?”_ Good question. Did he want to alert SHIELD of Loki’s reappearance? Why wouldn’t he?

“Make it subtly, still wanna check a few things myself before the Angry Pirate gets his hook on him.”said the inventor _._

 _“Very well, Sir.”_ It amused him how much emotion his AI could imitate, he could have sworn he heard the programmed British voice bemused at its creator’s joke. After some moments of awkward standing, the AI answered.

 _“Sir, Mr. Loki seems to suffer severe internal bleeding. Some of his organs are barely functioning, he has 3 broken ribs, one collapsed lung and his left arm is dislocated and broken in different sectors, including his wrist. His rectum is severely wounded and bleeding. Also, he has suffered head trauma, a concussion most likely and is on the verge of consciousness.”_ Finally stated the artificial intelligence _._

“Damn, he got beat up pretty good... But can't heal it all with some magic?” Loki always had a trick up his sleeve... so where was it?

 _“The test you issued comparing the magical readings S.H.I.E.L.D. and our own databanks gathered, and that of his current readings suggest he will not be able to, Sir. His magical powers are significantly lower by 88%. If treatment is not administered with the utmost urgency, he will die.”_ morbidly stated Tony's AI.

“Shit... Well, I can’t just let him die… Call my jet and my medics, give them my coordinates but don’t tell them who the patient is. Make them swear to that doctor’s confidentiality shit. Oh, and Bruce, get him in on the jet as well. Actually, call him. Tell the meds and jet that I need them here with their equipment ASAP.” Ordered Tony. 

 _“_ _Shall I contact Ms. Potts as well?”_  Asked J.A.R.V.I.S.

“No, not yet, don’t need her worrying about this mess.” He had inconvenienced her far too much already. He would keep her out of this as long as he could. Not to mention she wouldn't agree to this. Tony couldnt tell who was more dangerous right now. Loki or Pepper. 

 _“Dr. Banner is on the line.”_ Said the AIdisplaying an image of Bruce at the top left of his HUD.

“Tony? What’s going on? Why am I being rushed to a jet??” Questioned his friend as a greeting.

“You have that doctor/patient confidentiality bullshit thing, right?” Asked Tony. The line was silent for a moment and he could feel the sweat going down his spine. He wasn't sure this would work if he didn't agree to help.

“I'm not really a doctor, Tony, I just have a doctorate, but yeah, I still do the 'doctor/patient confidentiality bullshit'… Now tell me what you did and what I have to fix before you break even more.” Ouch. His friend's lack of confidence in him actually stung.

“It’s not me this time, Bruce…” said the engineer, slightly offended, slightly guilty.

“Oh no… Tony, it’s always something bad when you use my name and not just some nickname…” Bruce knew him too well. Tony scratched the back of his neck, forgetting he still had the suit and helmet on.

“Well, you could say that… I need you to keep this a secret tho, from everyone, even the Avengers and e _specially_  from S.H.I.E.L.D.” asked for the engineer.

“Tony…” said Bruce. Oh no. Not that motherly tone again.

“No, you can’t tell anyone. Promise me Brucie, this is important and serious and you know when I say it, it’s probably double the important and serious cause I normally refuse to use those words together unless it’s in bed and a joke.” Silence, again.  _Come on Bruce, I need you…_

“Alright, alright, I promise…” finally said his wonderful science bro. He would owe him big time after this. Maybe he could get the Hulk an island it could play and wreck freely in. 

“Great! Now get here as soon as possible, he’s kinda dying.” quickly said the engineer not very helpfully. He cringed at himself for saying it before he could think better of it. 

“Wait, what do you mean dying?! Who’s dyin-" Bruce rushed with questions but Tony could not deal with them at the time. He cut his questions in half as he hung up the call. Silence filled once again the air around Tony but was soon disturbed by his own sigh. What was he doing? He didn’t know. Why was he doing it? That, he also didn’t know and did  _not_ want to think about. He opened his faceplate and crouched down next to the limp body that was slowly breathing.

“I hope you’re grateful pal, I should just let you die right here.” A small cough and a whimpering sound escaped the bloody mouth. “you conscious there reindeer games?” Asked Tony.

“Yes mortal, now shut your mou-“ Was the first thing the god said in all this time but was cut by a coughing fit.

“Wow, slow down princess, you don’t wanna strain yourself any more than you already have.” Slowly he placed a hand on the shoulder that looked not-broken but immediately the body under him flinched away.

“Get away! Do not dare call me that and do not touch me!” Tony lifted his hand in a show of innocence and backed away slowly.

“I won’t hurt you, calm down.” There was something really wrong. Those eyes, besides being a different color, which he could have sworn used to be blueish, they were full of fear. Fear he hadn’t seen back in his penthouse. Fear he hadn’t seen when they defeated the royal pain and sent him back to Asgard in chains. Something happened in fairyland that planted on a being that was so prideful, so powerful, so regal and honestly beautiful, fear in its rawest form.

He couldn’t understand why but he hated whatever made those eyes change. Loki had done horrible things, yes, had killed thousands, but even after all that, whatever they had done to him in Asgard, just seemed like too much. It seemed wrong and deep inside of him a sort of protective feeling grew. He wanted to beat the crap out of whoever had done what they did to Loki. “Look, I need you to stay still, you’ll only hurt yourself more if you fight me.”

A small chuckle fell from the bloodied lips. “And pray tell, wh-why do you care, Stark?” He could recognize  _and_  remember Tony? Loki was obviously struggling, trying to not look as bad as he did, but he was failing miserably.

“Hey, Genius, Billionaire, Playboy, Philanthropist, Hero. Those last two meaning I help people who need it.” Said the engineer in self-defense. He knew it really wasn't that, but since he couldn't pinpoint what it really was, he would roll with the hero gig.

“I d-do not want your help… Now allow me to rot at my own leisure...” More coughs full of blood fell from the god's mouth.

“You may not want it, but you sure as hell need it, honey.” Said the human, slightly annoyed at his attitude. Well, he had imagined this would come back to bite him, but he hadn’t expected it this soon and certainly not from the guy he was trying to help. Tony sighed.

“J.A.R.V.I.S. gimme ETA on the jet.” He needed Bruce, and alcohol, lots and lots of alcohol. 

 _“17 minutes with 45 seconds, Sir.”_ Stated the AI _._ Great. Enough time for a quickie but far too long for waiting with nothing to do but talk to someone who shouldn’t and doesn’t want to talk. A grunt caught his attention. Loki was trying to move again.

“Hey, I told you not to move!” Quickly Tony grabbed the wizard's not-broken shoulder to try to stop him from moving.  _Big_  mistake. Loki started to scream and thrash violently, sending green magic whips that pricked Tony’s armor softly. “Whoa! Stop! You’re making everything worst!” Tried to say the engineer but the god kept trashing and yelling.

“Stop touching me! Get away! I do not want this! I ca-cannot anymore! Stop! Plea-please…” and then it all stopped. He went limp, he would have seemed dead, except for the rough breathing and his giant terrified opened eyes.

“What the fuck? Loki? Ahh, hey, you there, Buddy?” Asked the mortal, No response. He was awake but his mind seemed to be somewhere completely different. His eyes, seeing something unseen, distant and dull. They had lost their splendor. Eyes that reminded Tony of a predator who hungrily looked at his prey and knew well just how powerful and frightening he was; now looked like the eyes of the prey that would normally be hunted by such predator. They looked resigned. Like all hope had been lost.

Was he thinking that Tony would do to him the same things they had done to him back in Viking land? The ragged breathing slowed down to a forced and utterly fake calm. It hurt, hurt to see someone he had once feared and respected, an alien, a God, turn into something so pitiful. This was just pathetic. He couldn’t stand it. Tony looked away and scoffed.  

“Look, I don’t know what they did to you back in Ass-land, but here, you’ll be under my protection. As Cheesy as it sounds, I won’t hurt you and I won’t let anyone else hurt you. You got that? So calm your shit down and let me help you.” No response. “You still with me, Rudolph?” He moved to get a better look but he just got a flinch in response. Another sigh.

“Fine, ignore me. I’m staying right here tho', and my guys are coming to help so you better cooperate with them at least.” This time, Loki moved his head slightly to look directly at Tony's eyes. He was searching for something, but Tony couldn't tell what it was he searched. After a few moments of awkwardly staring at each other, he appeared to have found what he looked for and closed his eyes. Tony kept looking at his face and saw the tense muscles there slowly relax and his breathing calm down to a worrisome pace as he drifted into unconsciousness.

 _“Sir, ETA is 1 minute with 27 seconds.”_ Finally, he could hear the roar of the approaching jet in the distance. He stood up and climbed out of the crater to receive the medics and his science bro. 

* * *

 

“We have arrived at the given coordinates. Please wait until the transport lands safely to disembark.” He was nervous, to say the least. Tony had sounded a mix of many things. He sounded a bit concerned, desperate and scared, but also a little mad and spiteful. What could have caused him to feel all this? What happened? Who was hurt? And why wouldn’t he just tell him? 

He knew he would regret to know those answers and he should not have agreed to keep it a secret. But this was Tony, the guy who had helped him in many ways after the Manhattan incident. His science partner. or 'Science Bro' as Tony so fondly called them. He could be excessively reckless from time to time but he hadn’t failed him yet. There was always a reason behind what he did, even if it was a stupid ass reason.

Heh, he was certainly learning some bad quirks from Tony. He was using more slang and insults than he usually would. Not out loud of course. He was also starting to appreciate his jokes, puns, and wit. He had to admit he's really taken a liking to the engineer, no matter how infuriating he can be. He certainly has charm.

“Dr. Banner, ready to disembark?” Asked a medic.

“Huh? Oh! Yeah, I’m coming, let me just get my things.” Quickly he got his bag and followed the doctors out of the jet. Just outside he could make out the shape of the Iron Man suit with its faceplate up, showing inside its proud creator. Wearing a smile, Tony waved at them.

To anyone else that didn’t know Tony well enough, it would have seemed like he had not a care in the world and was enjoying himself, but to Bruce, it showed concern. Bruce had learned to see through Tony’s façade. He could see some of the emotions his science partner tried to hide.

“Hey, Brucie! Soo remember our friendly neighborhood alien overlord? The horny Rudolph?” Ignoring Tony, Bruce passed him and looked inside the crater, next to the other medics who all had shocked expressions. He couldn’t believe his eyes. It had been almost a year since Loki and Thor had left for Asgard. But somehow the younger god was here.

"What happened? Why is he here? What did you do?" He looked horribly injured. The doctor in him told him to hurry and help but another part of him was trying to hold back the hulk. His vision was starting to get tinted with green. This man had killed and destroyed so many lives, had caused so much damage. And now he was here and Tony wanted to help him? 

“Well, I didn’t do anything for once and what happened? Honestly? I don’t know.”

“This is bad Tony.  _Really_  bad.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry T.T
> 
> Edit: Well, I fixed the formatting and added a few lines to make reading easier, those who already read it, don't need to worry, there were no major changes to the plot itself. I still do recommend re-reading.


	3. The Gardens

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stuff happens
> 
> The song I used for the second half of this chapter is Whispers by Dave Brake, really good song.
> 
> Edit: Check chapter 2, a few paragraph were missing at the beginning, added on sep 20, 2016.

“This is bad Tony. _Really_ bad.” Not even after the god’s encounter with the Hulk had he been this injured. Any human would have been long gone by now judging from the amount of blood surrounding his body. Even for a god, it was a miracle his eyes were open. He had to be using some sort of magic for that.

“I made J.A.R.V.I.S. do a full diagnostic. Here.” Bruce grabbed the small tablet from Tony’s hand and inspects it while the medics hesitated to do anything. Tony looked over at them and yelled at them to move their asses. Soon after they rush down the crater to help. Instantly the doctor in him assessed the damage and set to work.

“Okay, it seems we have some barely functioning organs, 3 broken ribs, one collapsed lung, his left arm is dislocated and broken in different sectors, including the wrist. His rectum… is severely wounded and bleeding. What the hell… it all seems like signs of rape... Also, head trauma, check for a concussion! You see anything else, anything weird, tell me. This guy’s not from around here so expect anomalies, but be sure to inform them.” instructed the scientist to the medics.

“Rape? Anything weird? I dunno about you but I would count rape as something weird, Bruce.” He was shocked, he certainly had not expected that. The guy was a god.. he was an alien god, an extremely powerful alien god… how could… who could do something like that? Why?

“Tony, how did this happen? This is some severe injuries and trauma we’re talking about here. Last time I checked, even after being smashed by the Hulk, probably having quite a few bones pulverized, he was up and walking just a few hours later. How is he almost bleeding to death now?” Asked Bruce.

“Look, I don’t know, okay? J.A.R.V.I.S. told me the satellites picked up some space distortions, like the one that Thor causes when he travels here. But these ones were unstable, so I decided to go and check it out. I got here and saw that. That’s it, that’s all I have.” Bruce looked like he was contemplating this new information.

“It was unstable?” Asked his science bud.

“Yeah, like, it looked more like the first time Thor came down here, in New Mexico, back when he was banished, turned into a ‘mortal’, as he put it. Oh, and his voodoo magic is down by 88% or something. You think daddy-dearest decided to give baby-bro the same punishment as Point Break?” Asked Tony crossing his metal arms.

“Maybe, but why all the damage? Why the…” He couldn’t finish the sentence but Tony obviously understood what he meant. How could this even happen? 

“I need a drink. Look, I don’t care for the whys right now, let's just get him to my medical bay, ASAP.” Stated the engineer.

“The medical bay? Are you crazy?! He needs to go to the hospital! We don’t have all the equipment we need for something like this back at the tower!” Screamed one of the doctors as right on cue, they came out of the crater with an unconscious Loki strapped to a gurney.

“I’ll buy you what you need. I don’t want SHIELD snooping around yet so we’re going back to base and once there, nothing comes out. We keep this in business. No one is to talk about what is going on with anyone outside of Stark Industries without my approval. Only the people here and back at the bay may know. Only Stark Industries’ personnel and Bruce here. Got it?” Instructed their CEO.

“But… Mr. Stark, his injuries ar-“ tried to say another medic but his friend was obviously in a bad mood and wasn't up to dealing with any of it right then. 

“No buts, unless it's yours for the kicking if you disobey me.” Iron Man lowered his faceplate and stepped forward, letting the metallic voice of his armor send the message. “Got it?”

Terrified, the doctor stared at the robotic face and answered “Y-yes, Sir.”

After a moment, Tony answered, “Good, now move it!” Reopening his faceplate, the billionaire looked at Bruce and directed his words in a lower voice, indicating a small plea for his friend to cooperate.

“I’m leaving you in charge... I'm going on ahead to get things ready for when you get there.” Looking straight into his friend's eyes, he waited. The engineer knew things would get messy if he didn’t agree. 

With a sigh, Bruce answered. “Fine, Tony… I don’t like this though. I can just _feel_ we’re getting into a huge mess and I’m not comfortable with it.”

Smiling, Tony replied with “Thanks, bud. We’ll figure it out, we’re science bros after all.” With his shit eating grin in place, Tony lowered his faceplate and set off into the night sky.

 

* * *

 

Peaceful. Quiet. Glorious. Perfect.

The feeling of the grass in his toes. The fresh scent of the beautifully tamed wildflowers. The soft sounds of the ripples in the pond. The delicate hum of the birds flying.  He had always loved how peaceful the gardens of his mother were. He often would lose himself in them.

Oh, how he loved to see the lily pads floating in the pond in peaceful harmony. Everything was so serene. Everything coexisted perfectly. Organized chaos had always attracted his attention. The world revolved around such chaos. Everything was in constant change. But few places where so immaculately balance as was this garden. He would spend hours just staring at everything. He could spend the whole day just looking at glimpses of the sky through the thick folly of the trees.

His brother did not understand it. He did not understand the beauty in simply being able to enjoy peace. He would easily get bored and try to get Loki to spar with him or try to convince him to go hunting with his friends. It never lasted long enough. There was never sufficient time for Loki to enjoy the gardens and there never would be enough time, with all his responsibilities and Thor around to bother him.

Yet today was different. Today Thor had decided to stay with Loki in the gardens. Of course, it was just an excuse to skip morning lessons and to sleep a while longer, but for Loki, it was enough. They both layed by the pond, Loki with his feet in the water, enjoying the coolness of it. Thor rested his head on the lap of Loki, one hand dipped in the pond. He was sound asleep the minute he laid his head down.

The lap of Loki had been one of his favorite resting places. A small benefit of not being gifted with excessive muscles is that his lap was comfortable for the older prince. It had been years since the last time they had spent time like this.

Most days they would have lessons, training, hunting and political travels. Their coming of age had not been so long ago and their responsibilities had increased exponentially. Finding time to do nothing but just breath was not easy to come by.

A stray blond lock layed across the face of Thor. Loki moved it behind his ear. He had always wondered why his hair was so different from the hair of his brother. Why had Thor been gifted with hair the color of sunshine, while Loki had to live with hair as dark as a starless night? 

Thor had always lived in radiance. Everything he did was so grand and boastful. Loki preferred to stay in the shadows. He wanted to share the glamor that Thor lived in by the sun but he knew his nature was to roam the night with the moon. It bothered him a little how the sun and the moon shared the same sky, they both drifted in space in equal grace, but for some reason, Aesir preferred the sun.

He could not understand why they did not value the moon equally. If not for the moon, they would be consumed by darkness, left alone with the monsters that lurk the shadows. He just did not quite get it and thus he tried hard to chase the sun next to his brother, but he was always a few steps behind.

“Loki..” Slowly Thor stirred in Loki’s lap. “Yes, brother?” There was something strange in the voice of Thor. He could not quite place it, but something was… off. “Wake up Loki… Stay with me…” It sounded different. As if it was another person.

“What are you babbling on about, brother? I am awake, it is you who has slept so soundly... and I do not wish to go anywhere anytime soon.” He did feel a bit tired. His eyelids were heavy and threatened to close any moment but he wanted to enjoy the garden for a while longer.

“Damn it, Lokes, wake up!” something was definitely wrong. He felt the pressure of the head in his lap disappear, he looked down and saw that his brother was gone.

“Thor? Where did you go?” With trained caution, he got up and looked around.

“Thor? Where are you, brother? Thor!” Looking back to the spot where they had both rested, he found a giant puddle of blood. The water was slowly being tainted as well.

The mind of Loki was running a billion different scenarios when he felt a sharp pain in his chest. Electric and metallic. Shocked at the feeling, he looked around quickly and then looked down at himself.

He was covered in blood and dirt, his clothes were ripped to shreds. Tears fell down his face at the immense pain that overtook his whole body and made him lose his footing. The world around him started to spin. All the trees, bushes, and flowers were covered in blood. Everything was dead and rotting. He fell in the pond and started to sink.

The prince heard the strange voice again, but this time, he was sure it was not of his brother. He was sure he had heard the voice before, but he could not place it. “Try it again! I don’t need the Thundercat's hammer to level my head! Keep him alive!”

Thundercat's? Was the voice referring to his not-brother? Wait, not-brother? Why the ‘not’? He did not understand what was going on but he could not make himself care anymore, everything hurt so much, he just wanted to sleep and never wake up.

He kept sinking deeper and deeper into the pond, which, made no sense since it was supposed to be shallow. He could see the surface getting further and further away. Loki could see the light of the sun getting dimmer and dimmer. Darkness was starting to engulf him when he felt the sharp, electric stab of pain in his chest again and suddenly he was being pulled out by an unseen force. Soon, he reached the surface and light overwhelmed his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I find it so amusing that I wrote such a peaceful and tranquil scene in the gardens (you now, before things got wacky) on the train at rush hour. Like, it was so loud and full of unbalanced chaos and people were being rude, but out of all that mess, came out something nice.
> 
> I live for comments! Talk to me! I don't bite unless you ask me to. Kudos are very appreciated as well! Love ya! <3


	4. Who could?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: Check chapter 2, a few paragraph were missing at the beginning, added on sep 20, 2016.  
> Huehuehue new chapter. I've had this written for a while now but didn't want to post too many chapters at the same time. I have no idea how I've written so much in so little time. 
> 
> Tony: You're currently obsessed and high on kudos. 
> 
> Me: Well.. they motivate me to write, I originally didn't think anyone would read this... 
> 
> Loki: What are 'kudos' and what is this mortal writing?
> 
> Tony: It's called fanfiction, sweetcheeks. Kudos are like points of approval and fanfics are stories created by mostly Tumblrians of Fandomhive, writers dedicated to bringing feels to us Midgardians. 
> 
> Loki: Ah, I see, I would like to read this 'stories'. 
> 
> Tony: Sure, let's have JARVIS read us some while we fondue~ *wiggles eyebrows* 
> 
> Loki: *chuckles* Alright, let's see if you can keep up with the story~  
> *Many loud fonduing sounds* 
> 
> Me: What have I done?...  
> Also, tis my birthday today! Hope you like the chapter! 
> 
> *more fonduing sounds* Oh dear X3 <3

“So it’s really over?” Asked the soldier to the beautiful redhead, who looked out into the busy street. She seemed lost in a whole different world made up of her thoughts. Her eyes were directed to the people passing by, but she was not looking at them at all. “Pepper?” Asked again the soldier.

“Huh? Oh, sorry Rhodey. I was just thinking. What did you ask?” He could tell she was not well, but she looked calm. A bit sad, yes, but calm.

“I asked if it’s really over? Did you two really… you know... split?” He still couldn’t quite believe it yet. Not that it was unexpected, but he’d had so high hopes for them. She looked at him with a sad smile on her lips.

“Yes. It really is over.” She released a soft sigh.

“You seem… calm though. Resigned even.” The soldier expressed to Pepper, making a small chuckle fall out of her rosy lips.

“Well it’s not really a shocker, is it? I’m surprised it lasted this long… I knew it wouldn’t last long from the start. I hoped it would but I’m just glad for what we had and that it lasted for as long as it did.” Said the redhead, understandably.

“So… you’re not mad at him? Now that’s a first." Pepper had been the best thing to happen to Tony. She'd saved him time and time again from many things, including himself. "What ended it then? Did he cheat on you? I swear I’ll blow his head off with the War Machine if h-” asked furiously the soldier but was interrupted by a raised, perfectly manicured hand.

“No, no, calm down, soldier." She reassured him with a smile. "He didn’t cheat on me Rhodey. He did try, you know. Not to cheat, I mean he tried really hard to be committed but he just can’t help it. He’s too obsessed with his machines. He can’t live without them and I couldn’t share him with them. We are both selfish. Me more than him, most likely.” Rhodey looked at her straight in the eyes. He understood well what she meant. He knew Tony just as well as she did. He'd still had really high hopes that they could’ve worked it out somehow. Pepper was special, she could probably get any amazing guy easily, but she had loved his best friend for so long.

“Pepper…”  Yet she deserved someone Tony just couldn’t be. Tony was a great guy, he was a genius and deep down he was genuinely good, but he had far too many issues. He'd been through too much. Afghanistan had changed him drastically, but after the Manhattan incident, something had snapped inside engineer. It was rare the time when Rhodey saw a glimpse of the man Tony used to be. He couldn’t fully comprehend his friend anymore. Tony needed someone who could understand this changes. But who could possibly understand what it’s like to just float in the void of space while fighting alien gods?

“To be honest, I’m actually more concerned for him than for myself. He wouldn’t last a week without me. He’s always had me with him and I’ll still be there for him, but I can’t be there forever. Who’s going to look after him then? I almost live with him 24/7 and I still barely understand him... So who can we trust with the responsibility of caring and looking after him, physically and emotionally and everything else that it involves? Who could love him, just as he is, with all the issues, all the crazy, all the obsession, all the machines… everything… Do they even exist, Rhodey? I'm worried for him.” She looked so concerned. Her eyes were full of worry and she longed for an answer that Rhodey just simply couldn’t give her.

“I’m sorry, Pepper. I’ve been asking myself the same questions since I met the guy and I had honestly believed it was you.” He sighed and picked up his lukewarm cup of coffee from the table.

They stayed there for a while longer in silence at the small coffee shop they often would visit together to discuss their common problem named Anthony Edward Stark. It had become a sort of routine for them. Whenever they wanted to talk about something concerning Tony, they would go to this small shop called ‘Café tis Art’. Tony didn’t like the coffee they sold here, it was mostly instant coffee with lots of random and far too exotic flavors added. Tony insisted it was a crime that coffee flavors like maple bacon, spicy taco and chipotle even existed. Because of his reluctance to visit a second time, both Pepper and Rhodey had made it their meeting place and safe haven both for and from Tony.

“I really should head back to the tower now. I’ve been gone for a whole week and knowing him, he's probably passed out in the lab. Probably hasn't eaten or slept anything.” Tony’s insomnia and eating patterns had gotten even more erratic since New York’s encounter with aliens. He wouldn’t listen to reason and would work until dropped. A few times they'd had to take him to the medical bay but he still would do nothing to help himself.

“Ok, but please be careful. Both of you. It probably seems impossible right now, but you both will find the right person eventually. Have faith, God knows what he does. The real God, not those Psychotic Norse ones.” said the soldier with a chuckle.

“Thank you, Rhodey. I really hope you’re right.” She picked up her bag and dropped her half-full cup in the trash bin. 

* * *

The penthouse was the first area to be fixed on the tower after the attack on New York. The window had been replaced and the hole created by the Hulk was filled and re-tiled. It was still a little strange for Pepper to look at that spot. She hadn’t seen Loki in person and most pictures and videos were deleted by SHIELD in their major clean up. But even SHIELD couldn’t delete everything. There were still some blurry pictures and videos around.

She’d seen the security video of the Hulk smashing Loki into the pavement before it was erased. Saw the crater left behind by the encounter with her own eyes. She still couldn’t believe the guy had survived and much less that he'9d walked a few hours later to be taken back to Asgard. Looking at the spot that now was fixed made her stomach turn slightly. “J.A.R.V.I.S. where’s Tony?” No answer. Pepper looked towards where she knew one of the cameras was and called out again. “J.A.R.V.I.S.?”

 _“I’m sorry Ms. Potts, Mr. Stark has asked me not to relay his current location.”_ Why would he ask J.A.R.V.I.S. to do that? Was he mad at her? Shouldn’t she be the one that was mad at him?

“Override that order J.A.R.V.I.S. Where is he? In the workshop?” After a moment's hesitation, the AI answered. 

_“Mr. Stark is currently on the floor above the Medical Bay, discussing with some of his medical staff”_

“In the Med Bay? What happened? Is Tony injured? Did he faint again?” Quickly she changed directions and headed for the Med Bay. It was one of the floors Tony designed right after the New York attack, it functioned like a small hospital. It was stocked with almost all medical devices ever created and had a staff that consisted of some of the greatest medics and nurses in New York. It was open for all Stark personnel and anyone who needed quick specific treatment that would be hard to get at a local hospital. It had been a great invention by Tony, but in reality, it was just another excuse for him not to leave the tower.

 _“No, Ms. Potts. Mr. Starks has barely slept or ate since you left 175 hours ago but he's still managed to stay conscious. It’s not Mr. Stark that is in treatment. And I'm afraid I’m not permitted to give you the patient’s name and your clearance is not high enough to override the order. Apologies Ms. Potts.”_ Said J.A.R.V.I.S. apologetically.

The omnipotent clearance? Tony had used his highest clearance just to keep a patient's name secret from her? Who could possibly be so… (Important? Dangerous? Secret?) that he couldn’t trust her with their name? “J.A.R.V.I.S. did he tell you I couldn’t go into the med bay?”

 _“No, Ms. Potts. Sir hasn't forbidden access to the medical bay and the patient’s room.”_  The AI sounded relieved like it had been waiting for the question, waiting for someone to find the loophole it couldn’t point out itself.

“Thanks, J.A.R.V.I.S. Take me down to the Medical Bay.” She headed for the elevator while her heels tapped softly on the marble floor.

* * *

He opens his eyes to the world around him but closed them just as quickly. Everything was too bright. His entire body hurt and was shaking violently. Loki could not remember what had happened. Last he recalled was being in the gardens with his brother, the voices, the blood and drowning. He tried to open his eyes again, cautiously, letting them adjust to the blinding light that surrounded him. Slowly, blurry shapes started to clear. He was in some sort of room. All the walls were painted in a painful white. He could hear the soft sounds that some type of machinery made beside the bed he laid in.

The machinery looked Midgardian, but why would he be in Midgard, it had been centuries since his last visit. Why was he so badly wounded? His magic should be able to mend the worst injuries; why could he not feel the strength of it? Loki had far too many questions and no one was around to answer them. He tried to sit up but there was no strength in his arms to help him. Every minimal movement was painful. He inhaled sharply and felt the air leave his body immediately as a fresh burning wave of pain hit him. He could not take in enough air. Loki shut his eyes and tried to level his breathing. Breathing too little or too much was far to excruciatingly painful.

Then, the click of a door was heard in the utter silence only disturbed by the machinery and his breathing. Someone was trying, and failing miserably, to hide the sound of their steps. He thanked the Norms as he desperately needed something to drink. He tried to speak but nothing coherent left his lips. He heard a gasp, presumably from the person that was previously trying to go unnoticed.

Loki tried again “wa… water…” The god assumed his words were heard as he could hear the person move abruptly, yet it did not seem like they were heading his request. He tried to reopen his eyes slowly(he did not recall closing them) and scanned the room. Had they left? He could not see anyone with him but the mage was sure he could feel the presence of someone in the room.

“Water… please?” a movement came from the right side of his bed. The person was standing behind a curtain. They slowly moved away from the curtain and approached the bed with caution. He noticed there was fear in those eyes. The Midgardian looked familiar but the mind of Loki felt as if it was stuffed with wool and could not place their face. They held a small glass of water with a little white tube of plastic in it.

“…Loki?” Suddenly it hit him, like a rampaging bilgesnipe. Memories flooded into his mind. The Coronation, the Vault, the Jotnars, the Bifrost, The Other, Thanos, Midgard, The Avengers, the dungeons, the stitches, the venom. Everything. It all rapidly came crashing back and he had no time to shield his already weakened mind. He screamed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cliffhanger! Who could it be?? Any guesses?? Whoever gets it will get a virtual cookie. And a hug if you give me a small 'why' to your guess and it's mildly correct. (It's really not hard but I want an excuse for comments, I like answering X3) 
> 
> Kudos and comments are great! They give me life and motivate me to write! Talk to me, I love answering. Constructive criticism is greatly welcomed, just please don't kill me, I'm trying my best.
> 
> Also, tis my birthday today! Hope you liked the chapter!


	5. Broken

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! I had this chapter ready for so long but meh, wanna keep it weekly just in case I get writer's block some day. Thanks to those who wished me a happy birthday in the last chapter. 
> 
> P.S. I'm trying to make a cover for this fanfic but I'm not so good at drawing sooo if anyone wants to make art for this, it'll be greatly appreciated.

“…Loki?” Suddenly it hit him, like a rampaging bilgesnipe. Memories flooded into his mind. The Coronation, the Vault, the Jotnars, the Bifrost, The Other, Thanos, Midgard, The Avengers, the dungeons, the stitches, the venom. Everything. It all rapidly came crashing back and he had no time to shield his already weakened mind. He screamed.

* * *

He dropped the glass and watched in horror how Loki violently thrashed against the bed. It took a few moments of heavy breathing for the green to reside back and he could walk forward. He maneuvered around the broken glass and went straight towards the bed. “J.A.R.V.I.S. Call Tony!” Yelled Bruce over Loki’s miserable screams. He reached Loki and held him down on the bed, carefully trying to avoid the heavily injured areas. Some of the injuries had just started to heal, if he moved too much, he would reopen all of them.

The scientist heard the heavy doors open and a few nurses alongside doctors rushed in. “What’s going on?!” Asked the one he recognized as the head physician. “I walked in to check on him and he was awake. He asked for water and I was serving him some when he started to scream and thrash. Watch out for the broken glass on the floor, I… I freaked out a bit, sorry. Stay back and bring Tony. Tell him Skywalker woke up and needs him.”

Skywalker had been a clever idea by Tony. They needed a way to refer to the god, what better way than to use a pop culture reference that was actually based on the god himself? Luke was supposedly taken from Loki and Skywalker was one of the god’s many titles. It had to do something with ‘walking on the branches of the tree’ and teleportation. Well, they hadn't really researched it much but accuracy was the least of their worries right now.

The medical staff working for Tony had long learned to obey Bruce’s commands. He was not really a doctor but they could recognize he knew much more about this kind of situations than they did. They didn’t exactly teach how to handle alien gods back in med school. Quickly they head out to search for their employer.

This was not the first time Loki had woken up. He always took a while to register where he was and who was around him. When he finally did, he would yell and convulse until he fell back into unconsciousness or until he saw Tony. For some unknown reason seeing Tony would ease the god long enough for the doctors to put him under again.

No one understood why, not even Tony himself. He’d told Bruce that before the jet had arrived, he’d told the injured alien that he would protect him and wouldn’t hurt him or let anyone else do it.  He explained how Loki had stared at him for a while, searching for something and seemed to have found it. They both couldn’t really decipher what he was looking for, but luckily for them, it helped whenever the god woke up.

He was still desperately holding down both Loki and the hulk when he heard the door open again. Loki was still screaming between heavy gasps. “Finally, Tony do your weird magic and calm him down, he's gonna reopen every wound again!” Bruce didn’t look back, expecting Tony to run and do his part but he saw no movement next to him and heard no answer. Then it came, a scream. He turned his head and was horrified at what he saw. It was Pepper.

“Is that Loki?! What is he doing here?! Where’s Tony?!” Bruce had no idea what to do. Loki was starting to convulse now. If he didn’t do something fast, they could lose him. “JARVIS, where’s Tony?!, Pepper, we need Tony _now_ , explanations later!”

 _“Mr. Stark is turning the corner in the hallways, ETA 0.7 seconds.”_  Bruce looked back down at Loki. He wasn’t sure Tony would be enough now but they had no other choice. The doors flew open and Tony rushed for the bed. The engineer didn’t even notice his PA as he ran by and nearly crashed into the bed’s frame.

He grabbed Loki by the shoulders and shook him a bit. “Lokes! Hey, it’s me, Rudolph, it’s Tony, your… your friend? Calm down! Lokes! Can you hear me?! Lokes!” Loki’s eyes fell shut and his screams fully turned into gasps and sobs. It hurt to see him this way. They had been enemies the first time they met but Bruce could tell that he had gone through some really messed up things to end up in a state like that. It took a bit but he slowly started to calm down. His thrashing became shaking. “Lokes, you with me?” his breathing slowed down as well, but his eyes remained closed. “Come on Reindeer Games…” 

A flinch and a nod. The first response was almost always that. He was starting to recognize them again. “Hey there. You back to the world of the living, sleeping beauty?” Loki’s eyelids cautiously opened. He looked around a bit until his eyes fell on the men beside him.

Both scientists released their hold on the bedridden alien and took a step back. The god’s eyes roamed the room and he spotted the redhead by the curtain. The scientist followed his line of sight and looked at Pepper. Tony finally noticed who she was and cursed.

“Pepper… what are you doing here?”  

* * *

She couldn’t process what she was seeing. In the bed laid the man, the _god_ that had attacked the Avengers almost a year ago. The one who had thrown Tony out the window, the one who had killed Coulson, the one who tried to conquer the _world_. He wasn’t in a cell or chained or anything. He was in a bed, in the medical bay, in Stark Tower with both Bruce _and_ Tony looking after him as it seemed. The murderer, the monster that made Tony carry a nuke into space, the one who nearly killed her best friend and once-boyfriend. He was here, and they seemed to be genuinely worried about his health.

“Pepper… what are you doing here? You… you shouldn’t be here... J.A.R.V.I.S. I said you couldn’t tell anyone outside of the med bay.”

 _“Yes Sir, but you forgot to forbid access to the medical bay or Skywalker’s room. Miss Potts found her way here on her own.”_ Pepper was sure J.A.R.V.I.S. sounded disappointed in his creator.

“Well do that now. No one but the medical staff I’ve given access 'till now, Bruce and now add Pepper, gets in or out of this room or knows about this. Omnipotence clearance.” instructed Tony as he straightened up and rounded the bed towards the side she was on.

“Tony, what's going on? Why's _Loki_ here?!” There was venom in her voice. She hated the god. Whenever he was brought up in conversation, her distaste for him was evident. She had gone countless sleepless nights spent trying to calm Tony down. His nightmares would only get worse with every time. Tony approached her slowly.

“Ok… This is not as bad as it looks.” He unhelpfully answered as usual.

“You're _not_ trying to take care of the murderer who almost conquered the world and killed you?!” she questioned, motioning at the mam in the bed.

“Ok, never mind… it’s exactly what it looks like… I know, I know it might seem bad, but we have a good, valid reason.” Said Tony. What could possibly be a reason to not let that psychopath rot in jail?!

Dr. Banner asked thoughtfully. “We do?” 

“Well… I’m still working on it, but I'm sure it'll be an amazingly good one, promise.” Pepper looked at the man she knew to be a genius like he had gone insane. 

“Tony, he threw you out a window!!” She looked at the god and saw that he was still looking at her. He looked seriously injured but he was The God of Lies! Illusions are his forte. Pepper wasn’t going to fall for them, she wouldn’t stop until they saw reason. This was crazy! It had to be a trick, an illusion and maybe some mind control as well.

But she did stop as she looked into his eyes. There, she didn’t know if it was an illusion as well, but she recognized something she knew far too well. It was fear, the sort of fear she had seen in Tony’s eyes right after returning from Afghanistan when he would wake up from a particularly bad dream, whenever someone thoughtlessly asked Tony about his ‘epic’ experience with the nuke and space. It was pure fear of what had and could happen. There she saw the uncertainness, the extreme caution, the endless wait for an attack. He stared at her, waiting for her to make a move like he was expecting _her_ to hurt _him_. Like his confidence had been smothered, his burning pride extinguished. The sight was terrifying. 

She walked forward and saw how he flinched. She got closer and saw him try to move further back, to try to get away from her, but could barely put any strength in his limbs. “Pepper, I wouldn’t get any closer, he doesn’t coop well with people who I haven’t given him their biography yet and we need to stabilize him.” She looked at Tony but ignored his words and closed in on the god. She had to make sure of something. She had no idea how she would survive if what she was seeing truly was all an illusion but she had to make sure, she had to make sure that fear was real, that he was truly broken, not for herself, but for Tony.

“Loki, right?” she asked the man who had crept as far away from her as he could in the bed. She was shaking, she was scared, but she had to make sure that he was as well. She saw Tony walk closer and reassure the god that she was okay and that she was Tony’s best girl and trusted her with his entire life, to stay calm. She would have felt her heart swell up at those words any other time, but right now she couldn’t hear him. She looked at the bedside table and saw a set of medical tools. She picked up a small scalpel and quickly pointed it at Loki’s throat.

Loki’s eyes went wide. A pitiful gasp left his throat as Tony rushed forward but didn’t dare touch her. He knew well that touching someone who was doing something irrationally dangerous was not a good idea. “Pepper, stop! He’s semi-powerless! He’s semi-mortal! He was tortured! He can’t hurt us; he can’t even hurt a fly! Give me the knife.” He extended his hand to her but she just kept staring at the monster who fed her nightmares at night.

So many times she had dreamed of Tony being killed by this man. She had dreamed of Tony not falling back down from the wormhole or the suit not getting to him in time. She despised him. He terrified her. She had to make sure he really wouldn’t make those dreadful dreams come true. She moved the scalpel closer until a small line of blood fell from the shallow cut.

Loki was trembling now but she couldn’t look away from his eyes. They were broken. He had been broken by someone. They had tortured him. Had this been the punishment Asgard handed him for what he did to Earth? It seemed just a bit too cruel. He truly was broken, no games, no illusions.

“Plea... please don’t…” tears rolled down his cheeks. The words shook her out of her thoughts, she looked down at her hand and horror filled her as she understood just what her actions had been. She stepped back, dropped the scalpel and stumbled backward into Tony. Her once-lover carefully guided her to the sofa by the wall. She sat down and started to cry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo it was Bruce! Well, Jaylatty guessed so they get a cookie! *hands them the cookie* It's a magical cookie that Loki made so it'll taste like your favorite cookie flavor, enjoy. 
> 
> Loki: You forgot to mention your intention to give the cookie I was asked to bake to some random mortal... 
> 
> Me: Why does it matter? 
> 
> Loki: I would have added a kneeling spell, obviously....
> 
> Me: I'm sure if you ask nicely, they'll kneel for you.
> 
> Loki: ... Fine... Would you kneel for me, Jaylatty?


	6. "Judgement"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was not easy to write, Sorry my Loki. u.u

Tony didn’t know what to say. He hadn’t expected his PA to find out about Loki like this. He helped her sit down and looked over at their resident god. “Uhm… Shit… I’m sorry Reindeer Games, she… She wasn’t really gonna hurt you. She was… Ehh she… Let's just leave it at she won’t hurt you again. I’ll talk to her.” His assistant had buried her face in her hands and was now sobbing. “Ehm Sorry… you ok there, Gandalf?”  

Loki was still wide, teary-eyed and staring at Pepper. He slowly lifted his gaze and it landed on the engineer that was now standing beside his bed again. A single nod was all he got as a response. Bruce and Tony had spent the small periods of time Loki had woken up, trying to get information out of their newest project. Unfortunately, in the last 140 hours, since they brought him to the med bay, he’d woken 4 times and gave coherent answers in none.  

The first time, after restarting his heart with the defibrillator, he said a few incoherent things like ‘Gardens’ ‘Sun and Moon’ ‘Golden’ and ‘Brother’. Loki called out for Thor a few times and tears filled his eyes. Soon after he’d fallen asleep again. Two times he only nodded to some questions like if his magic was partly taken? If he was mortal? And if falling here was part of his punishment? The last time they hadn’t been able to calm him down before he fell back under.  

“Tony…” said Bruce as he slowly approached with a tray of three plastic cups of water, an antiseptic gauze, and a Band-Aid. He placed it on the counter, considerate that Tony didn't like getting handed things. “We shouldn’t use any more glass cups. I accidentally dropped one when he started to… stir. Also, you should clean that cut.”  

“Ah, right.” Tony took the tray and walked over to Pepper. He tapped her shoulder and handed her a cup. “Sorry Pep. I’ll explain later, promise.” He turned and walked towards the god whose eyes had not left him for a second.  

Tony noted he was slightly shaking and was certainly in an uncomfortable position. He set the tray down on the bedside table and stood beside the bed. “So… You comfortable there Lokes?” Loki flinched. “I… I am alright.”  

“No you’re not, come on, if you need something, just spill it. No ones gonna punish you for speaking out of turn.” Tony had said it in a playful tone but he noticed that Loki visibly relaxed at his words. Had they seriously punished him for speaking out of turn? He couldn’t even imagine what they'd had to do to render the best wordsmith mute. They had taken away his will over words. They had taken someone who _literally_  used words as their strongest weapon, and removed his ability to speak for himself. That was… that was just _sick!_   

“I mean it. Bruce will scold you if you don’t speak your mind actually. But just a scold, no punishment. I’ll also get Pepper into scolding you and trust me, that's no fun walk in the park.” That earned him a chuckle from his best girl. “And come on, you’re like a thousand years old! You, sir, are no kid to allow scolding, right? Or do you need a diaper change and your blanket?”

The godling slightly narrowed his eyes and answered. “I am no child, Stark…” A small grin took over Tony’s face.

“There ya go! That's more like it! Your pride used to be as huge as my di-”

Both Bruce and Pepper screamed “Tony!” 

“-rty… list of people I’ve hooked up with...” Glaring at both his friends, he continued “And trust me, that’s quite the list. I used to keep count but I lost it a long time ago. I think last time I checked, damn, it was arou-“  

“Tony, you’re babbling.” Said Pepper, who was trying to clean her ruined makeup.

“Ah, right, can’t seem to stop talking about myself even if I tried. No wonder people, Pepper, always seem to think the worst of me… Anyway, let’s try this again. You comfortable there Lokes?” The engineer waited a few moments and could almost hear the gears turning in Loki’s head.

He finally seemed to conclude something and spoke in a small, raspy voice. “I… am not… I could use some help… and some water.”  

“There we go, baby steps, was that so hard? Hm? Well, I’m gonna move ya now, ok?” A nod was his response. The scientist stepped closer and observed that Loki was trembling and had shut his eyes tightly. _Sighs_.

Tony grabbed him by the shoulders and knees and slowly moved him back to a comfortable position. He readjusted the pillow and picked up the tray. “Here, water.” Loki opened his eyes and took in the sight of Tony sitting on the bed next to him with a cup of water in his hand. He slowly took the cup with the straw from the avenger with his good hand and held it as if it was some prized possession. “Did they even feed you properly back in Assgard?”  

“They fed me… three to four times during my… punishment.” The mage cast his sight downward and carefully drew a small amount of water from the straw into his mouth.

“That wasn’t punishment, that was torture. You’re telling me you only ate about three times in almost a year?!” Asked furiously the engineer. 

“Ye-Yes… We can not die from hunger or thirst, but seeing as most of my powers are bound… I’ve gained a degree of… mortality… hence they had to feed me once every three to four months… so that I would not die before they were… done with me…” answered the god, nervously picking at the helm of the blanket.

“That’s just… sick... How could they just do something like that?” Asked Pepper shocked.

“It is their way of judgment… I have done many dreadful things in all the Nine Realms… I almost successfully destroyed one, and tried to conquer another…  it seems fitting they treated me like the monster they always knew I would become…”  said the resigned mage, almost sounding like he actually believed what he was saying... Tony couldn't and wouldn't let that slip.

“Ok, stop… You did a lot of shit and many lives were lost because of your whiny little ass. And don’t get me wrong, princess, you do deserve to be judged and punish for all you did, but not like that. What they did is not judgment, its cruelty. Here on earth, there’s a convenient little thing called ‘human rights’… You might not be human but they still apply to you, or at least they should. Everything they did violate almost all those rights and even tho' you tried to kill me… I can’t just stand by and let that happen. Not while… while sick bastards roam around torturing their family or having others doing it for them. No, I won’t let that happen again! Not on my watch… So you better stop giving sorry excuses for what they did to you, you got that?!” He was agitated. This whole situation had hit _far_ too close to home for Tony. He couldn’t let it slip. The avenger had gotten up at some point and was now pacing.

He knew perfectly well what torture did to someone, especially when it was ordered by someone you trusted. He’d gotten lucky with Yinsen, but Loki had probably been all alone.  He looked back at the god and saw fear and confusion. Tony had been screaming his last sentences and had probably scared him into thinking he’d lash out and hit Loki or something. “Sorry… I… I didn’t mean to scream… Did you have a cellmate or something?”  

Even more confusion overtook Loki’s face and he answered. “N… No. They feared someone would try to kill me before they were done with me… or that I would corrupt them further so they gave me my own cell and floor…”  

“How generous of them…” Said Tony with spiteful sarcasm. Seeing as Tony was wrapped up in his own feeling, Bruce decided to finally ask what had to be on their mind the whole time. “I know this is probably hard for you but… Did your father orde-?”  

Before he could finish, Loki screamed at him “He's not my fa-!” Horror filled the fallen god’s eyes. He wrapped his good arm around his torso, tried to fight against his wounds in an attempt to curl up into a ball and started to tremble and sob violently.  

Instantly Tony was by his side again. “Lokes! No no, calm down. Bruce, what do I do!?” Asked the engineer in a hurry.

Bruce had taken a bit longer to comprehend what was going on but answered in a whisper. “It’s… It’s probably a panic attack. Maybe it was triggered by yelling at what he thinks is his current captors or maybe refusing to call Odin his father, they probably punished him often for both.”  

Loki was mumbling something between sobs that Bruce could not hear. “He’s saying something” Both Tony and Bruce got closer to Loki without touching him, trying to hear. “He is coming… He... he’s coming… He’ll… My mouth… He’ll kill… kill me… Stitches… Kill me… He’s coming… Kill me… Kill…”  

“The scars on his lips… they could be stitches?!…” said Bruce in horror. Everything sounded worst and worst by the moment. How could anyone sew someone’s mouth shut?! Tony wanted to hit something, preferably Odin, in the face, with a spiked hammer, _hard_.  

“What do we do?” asked Tony.

“You should know well what panic attacks are like. Tell him to concentrate on his breathing. To stay in the present, do the 10 seconds thing I showed you.” Said Bruce a bit green around the corners, stepping back to give Tony more space.  

“Fine…” He stood next to the bed and placed his hands on Loki’s shoulder, receiving a strong flinch. “No! Don’t! Get away from me! Do not touch me! Please, I’m so sorry… Please…” the god was whimpering harshly. He trembled and tried to curl further in on himself. “Please… Please don’t…” 

“Lokes… Hey Lokes, it’s me, Tony, you’re in my tower, not in a dungeon, not in Asgard, no one is going to hurt you here. I know you are scared but there is nothing dangerous here. Hey, look at me, come on Lokes, look at me.” It took a few more moments for Loki to stop screaming but he was still not looking at the human. 

“Please… Don’t…” barely said the whimpering pale alien, not quite registering where he was yet.

“Loki, please look at me, I’m trying to help you...”  asked again the mortal.

“St… Stark…?” the mage continued to shake but after a few minutes stopped whimpering and slowly lifted his face to look at the engineer.

“Yes, there we go, now, I need you to breath, sync with me, come on, breath.” They both took their time to sync their breathing with each other. Small shivers still racked Loki’s body but he stared at Tony intensely.  

“Ok, now I need you to count back from 100 till 50, skipping 1 number. So like 100, 98, 96, etc. etc.” Loki looked a bit annoyed by Tony's instructions but did it anyway. “Ok, ok, now, let’s try till 5000, on a scale of 25, so that would be 25, 50, 75 et-” 

“I do believe that is quite enough, Stark, I do not see why proving my mathematical skills will improve my poor state of mental health…” said Loki, a bit irritably.

“Ha! Right there, did you see it Brucie? It was sass with a tint of sarcasm, Diva cats are back!”  Exclaimed the avenger with relief. 

“Don’t annoy him after he just came out of a panic attack, Tony, we don’t want him to go catatonic." Warned Bruce as he relaxed as well and they directed his words at the god.Just ignore him, he turns everything into a joke.”  

“Hey! I can take things seriously! I just prefer jokes, spoilsport.”  Said, Tony, while grumpily crossing his arms over his chest.  

“He also has no filter between his brain and his mouth.” Added Pepper, who wasn't looking at them yet, probably still unsure of what to think of all this.

Tony turned around and made a mock offended face, putting a hand over his heart. “I resent that. I could be serious and filter my words if I wanted to, but then I would be taking dear ol’ Capsical’s personality traits and that just wouldn’t be fair for him, he hasn’t got much more than that. And come on, those are my charming traits.” 

“Yes, an obnoxiously sarcastic narcissist with no self-preservation instincts.” Offered Bruce with a smirk.

“Exactly, now why did you say it as if those were bad things? Are you guys banging up on me? I don’t do well with bullying.” Said the engineer, turning around to look at his friends.

Pepper slowly stood up and pointed a finger at Tony, making him step back with every word she said “You forgot to add irresponsible, self-destructive, melodramatic an-“  

A small sound came from the behind them. Everyone stopped mid-pace, startled and quickly searched for its cause. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please Comment, Subscribe, Bookmark, and/or leave kudos! they motivate me~  
> Constructive criticism is very much appreciated.


	7. Beautiful Eyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Urgggggafgkfgjegwrtb this chapter was hard to write honestly. I feel like I'm representing the characters wrongly... I hope you're ok with it. I'm having doubts and that's not good for writing but I'll try harder in next chaps. u.u
> 
> P.S. Next week there won't be a chap, sorry. I'm in finals and I also have a trip so I won't be posting next Sunday u.u

A small sound came from behind them. Everyone stopped mid pace, startled and searched for its cause. It came from their resident god who was chuckling lightly.  

It was a soft sound, thought Tony. It was low and rich, delicate but strong and filled with carefully  tamed power. It was a sound that starves you for more but simultaneously fills you wholly. _Damn s_ _exy._ The words came involuntarily into Tony’s head. _Ha, that sound_ _ed stupidly poetic, right out o_ _f some_ _cheeky_ _porn novel_.  

For obvious reasons, the avenger hadn’t had the chance while saving the world to notice that the god was actually quite the looker. His figures were all sharp angles and fine bone structure, framed with pale skin, with a voice like a delicate purr. 

He was still staring at those cheekbones when the god spoke. “Stark, your ability to make light of any situation could be considered amusing… Also, you are intently staring.”  

“Well… isn’t that’s the polite thing to do when someone is talking to you? You look at them while they speak.” Yet he did look away as he finished speaking. Tony was never modest or shy. He would always bluntly saying who he thought was hot, hitting on them without restraint. Nevertheless, he did feel a hint of guilt over his dick-minded head. The guy had been tortured, starved and raped… He should be seriously thinking about how to help him, not how to undress him.  

“To answer your question… Yes… and no.” The god continued slowly, drawing in painful breaths. “He ordered the guards to… beat the _monster_ out of his ‘son’.” His gaze lowered to the cup that now laid by his foot over a small puddle of spilled water. “Only enough to teach me, not break me… but he was vague and the guards took the liberty to assume that ‘break’ meant ‘kill’… therefore they allowed themselves to… to have their way with me…”  

He heard Pepper gasp and cover her mouth. He searched the other two faces and saw Bruce had paled sickly and Tony… Tony was sure he looked infuriated, full of rage, because as soon as Loki laid eyes on him, he instantly tensed up and widened his eyes. He looked like a small, frightened kitten. But it only lasted a short while as the god relaxed without looking away. 

A low cough came from Bruce. “Well, I think that’s enough for now, we should have the nurses check on him and let him rest. You also forgot to clean his neck, Tony.”  

“His neck?... Oh! The cut, sorry, I’ll do that now.” Approaching the bed, Tony added. “Come on, chin up, let me see it.” Loki lifted his chin but still held his gaze quietly on the engineer’s face. Tony looked at his eyes and nearly drowned in them.  

He had searing green depths for eyes. Tony thought he could almost see part of all the god’s long years of life reflected on them, he could almost witness all that the god had experience, centuries of wisdom, yet they also looked young, scared and lost.  

He took the antiseptic gaze and meticulously cleaned the cut. Loki was as still as a statue but was also somehow strangely relaxed. When it was all clean, Tony took the Band-Aid, opened it and placed it over the now-clean cut.  

The room had fallen silent while he’d worked. Stepping back, Tony noticed that all three of them had their eyes fixed on himself. “What? Did I put it wrong? Hey, I know Band-Aids are complicated, but I think I did a pretty good job.”

It was Bruce who finally answered. “It’s fine, it’s just that I’ve never seen you like this.”  

“Like what?” Asked the avenger curiously.

“Caring, I suppose, invested on someone else’s wellbeing, just caring about someone besides yourself.” Responded his friend with a smile and a raised eyebrow.

“Ha! Come on, I may be self-centered but I do care about others.” Said Tony, a little bit affronted.

A chuckle came from the doc. “I know, Tony, I’ve just never quite seen it in action, that’s all.”  

Pepper rose from her chair and said. “I’m not very fond of the idea that the first time we see him like this, his caring for the guy who almost took over the world and tried to kill everyone, Dr. Banner... I’m going to go run Tony’s company to clear my head of this mess but I expect an explanation by dinner, and I expect a _good_ one, Tony.”  

“Consider it done Ms. Potts.” Answered Tony, waving her goodbye as she walked out the doors. When she was gone, Tony took a minute to register that the strange feeling he had was awkwardness. It wasn’t normal for him, he wasn’t used to being uncomfortable in a situation, he always made sure he was pleasantly comfortable.  

“So, Big Mean & Green, what’s next?” He asked Bruce who was picking up broken glass from the floor.

“Ehh, call the nurses, I guess. We should let him rest, leave the questions for later. J.A.R.V.I.S.? would you call them, please?” asked Brucie.

 _“_ _Already contacted_ _them_ _, Dr. Banner. T_ _hey are on their way.”_ Answered the AI.Tony tried to compose himself while looking at Bruce who threw the glass shards in the trash and began to talk to the bedridden god.  

“Well, now that you’re conscious enough to understand, like Tony said, we’ll help you and won’t let anyone hurt you, but we do ask that you do nothing bad while you’re with us. No evil doings, no trying to take over our minds, no trying to take over anything really. Is that clear?” Asked Bruce, letting a tiny of green into his tone.

“Trust me, Dr. Banner… I do not intend to do anything that would jeopardize my time here.” 

* * *

 

Everything was far too overwhelming. His memories had come back at an excessively rapid speed, crashing into his vulnerable mind. It was all a jumble of pain and betrayal. Everything hurt. Physically, mentally, emotionally, _everything_. It was just too much. 

Loki did not want his new captors to see just how vulnerable he really was, but he also guessed that it was inevitable considering the ‘panic attack’, as they called it, he had just experienced. 

It was honestly frustrating. He had left those horrid dungeons to just fall right at the doorstep of his enemies. At least here was Tony Stark. He knew it was ridiculous to trust an enemy, someone who he himself had tried to kill various times, but there was simply something about him that brought comfort to the prince.  

Barton had given Loki a rundown of all of the history of each Avenger. The story of Stark was considerably similar to his own. They both shared many similar traits and experiences. A father that was never there, never satisfied, who paid all his attention to another element, in the case of Stark, the work of his father, in the case of Loki, his brother. Stark had also been captured and tortured, all of it being commanded by someone who he trusted as family. No matter how many things they shared, it was reckless to trust Stark, he was perfectly aware of this. Nevertheless, he could not help it.  

He was desperate to trust someone, anyone really, everyone else he knew had betrayed and deserted him already. His blood family deemed him a worthless runt since birth and casted him away to await death in a deserted temple. His adoptive family was all a careful lie crafted by the Allfather who only intended to use him as a tool and was too much of a coward to discard him when his plan was no longer achievable.  

No one trusted him anymore, everyone was against him, no matter where he went or what he did, he would eventually be found and killed. Yet here was his enemy, the one who he had defenestrated, trying to help him.  

He honestly could not understand why the Avenger was doing this. Loki thought he probably wanted something form the god, but he no longer cared. He was desperate to accept any kind of help he could get while he recovered enough to flee.  

 _Mayb_ _e it would be best to_ _just surrender to them_ _when they finally decide to_ _kill me_ _..._ _No, that is_ _exactly_ _what_ _everyone_ _wishes_ _to see, the_ _hateful_ _monster_ _finally giving up and being executed_ _… I refuse to_ _give them that_ _pleasure._ _If they wish to see the monster in me, I’_ _ll_ _bare my fangs, right up until the last breath has left my lungs_ _, and even then, my face shall reflect defiance in death._  

The red headed woman had truly startled him, Loki had severely underestimated her. She was brave and stubborn, fitting as... Mate? Companion? of Stark. He should try to find out what their relationship was soon. He could maybe use the guilt she feels now to his advantage. 

“Come on, chin up, let me see it.” Said the Avenger. _Why would he help me?... What does he want_ _from me, I no longer have the Tesseract or the_ _Chitaur_ _i_ _staff, what could he gain from helping me?_ _What is your motive Tony Stark?_  

Loki stared at those eyes that were carefully looking at his own. They were not really any special shade, yet they had a certain lure to them. They were the eyes of the curious creature. One who restlessly tried to understand the world around them. They showed deep longing to comprehend anything and everything. He was certainly a scholar like Loki himself. _I wonder if things had been differently, could we had become good friends?_  

Suddenly he really wished that all this good treatment was out of real kindness and not just to acquire something from his poor existence. He knew it was stupid to wish for impossible things to happen. He should know this well since wishing for his torturers to leave his aching body alone had never, not once, helped to make them stop. 

“What? Did I put it wrong? Hey, I know Band-Aids are complicated, but I think I did a pretty good job.” Asked the man to his companions, who where staring at him. 

It was the berserker who finally answered. “It’s fine, it’s just that I’ve never seen you like this.”  

“Like what?” Asked Stark curiously. Loki also wished to know what had them staring like that.

“Caring, I suppose, invested on someone else’s wellbeing, just caring about someone besides yourself.” Responded his companion with a smile and a raised eyebrow.

“Ha! Come on, I may be self-centered but I do care about others.” Said Stark, sounding a little bit affronted. 

A chuckle came from Dr. Banner. “I know, Tony, I’ve just never quite seen it in action, that’s all.”  

Was kindness rare for Stark? That certainly crushed all hope of this situation not being another trap. He mentally sighed. _You never learn, do you, Loki._  

The woman rose from her chair and said. “I’m not very fond of the idea that the first time we see him like this, his caring for the guy who almost took over the world and tried to kill everyone, Dr. Banner... I’m going to go run Tony’s company to clear my head of this mess but I expect an explanation by dinner, and I expect a good one, Tony.”  

“Consider it done Ms. Potts.” Answered the man of iron. 

“So, Big Mean & Green, what’s next?” Stark asked Bruce who was picking up broken glass from the floor.

“Ehh, call the nurses, I guess. We should let him rest, leave the questions for later. J.A.R.V.I.S.? would you call them, please?”  

 _“_ _Already contacted them, Dr. Banner. T_ _hey are on their way.”_ Answered a strange voice. Loki looked around but he could not locate where it had come from. It sounded like it came from the direction of the ceiling, _is this the_ _creation Barton mentioned?_ Loki asked himself.  

“Well, now that you’re conscious enough to understand, like Tony said, we’ll help you and won’t let anyone hurt you, but we do ask that you do nothing bad while you’re with us. No evil doings, no trying to take over our minds, no trying to take over anything really. Is that clear?” Asked the beserker, letting a tiny of green into his tone.

It was clear as day in his head that he had to behave until the time came when they decided to drop the kindness façade. By then, he would be ready to flee. At the very least he hoped that they gave him enough time for just that. “Trust me, Dr. Banner… I do not intend to do anything that would jeopardize my time here.”  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I hope you're enjoying this so far, well, not the part of Loki suffering, that's not meant to be pleasing ._.
> 
> Anyway, constructive criticism, comments, bookmarks, and kudos is always appreciated!! 
> 
> P.S. Please do remember Loki has been through a LOT sooo he's not his usual self in this fanfic.


	8. The Cube

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I'm back! Missed me~? Haha well here's a chapter, a tiny bit longer than usual to make up for last week. Again, I'm not sure if I'll be able to update next week, I'll try, but I wanted to mention it just in case.

“J.A.R.V.I.S. give me the top and frontal view.” The blue holographic design shifted in the air, like magic, giving the engineer more access and a better view of his little creation. “Thanks.” 

 _“Sir, the explanation of the current situation that you gave to Miss Potts is insufficient to convince her. I suggest you leave this project for another moment and spend some time thinking about what else you will be telling her.”_  

“J.A.R.V.I.S. you spoil the fun in everything… Fine... But it's like 3 am. She's probably asleep. Anyway, file my battlebot away and tell me what the resident demi-god is doing right now.” The small robot design vanished and was replaced by a projection showing Loki laying on his bed.

 _“It's actually 6 am, Sir. He seems to be drifting between sleep and consciousness. Also, he is in pain but he has refused to use the morphine pump as of yet.”_ Said J.A.R.V.I.S. exasperated and concerned. 

“Too late to party but too early to drink... Why? Did Brucie explain it to him?” Tony looked at the god's face and could see the pain written all over it. His eyes were tightly shut and his good hand clung to the bed sheets desperately. He couldn't understand why Loki wouldn't use the pump, it was obvious that the pain was unbearable.  

 _"Dr. Banner did explain its use before leaving but Skywalker refuses to use it. We should consider the possibility that drugs were used as a torture method back in Asgard. He could fear any type of drug use because of this. I would suggest explaining more in detail its use, Sir. He does seem to trust you for some inexplicable reason."_ Answered the AI _._

"I'm going to have to explain every freaking drug they give him? This is getting annoying... And boring.... Patch me up J.A.R.V.I.S." His AI obliged and patched through a connection to the medical room's speakers. "Hey, Sweetcakes." The god, who'd shut his eyes in pain, widened his eyes, completely startled. "Calm down, it's just your buddy Tony." 

"Where are you Stark? I can neither see nor sense you." That earned a chuckle from Tony.  

"I'm in another room, speaking through the speakers. I'm coming up to the med bay now. Anyway, you see the buttons over there, on the machine right next to your shoulder?" As he spoke, Tony took a dirty towel from one of his workbenches and wiped his hands while walking out of his workshop. 

"Yes? It is the one for the 'Morphine pump' if I recall correctly..." The image of the god drifted along the wall as Tony walked down the corridors. In the projection Loki shifted uncomfortably in his bed, giving more weight to J.A.R.V.I.S. theory.  

"Yeah, well, morphine is medicine. It's designed to help you with pain and it absolutely safe, but only to be used when one is in too much pain to bare. Right now, hotrod, you are obviously in that amount of pain, so use it. You'll take longer to recuperate if you are constantly tense and sweating. So just press the one that looks like a cross a few times when you can't take the pain. Trust me, I've used it countless times before when I've had 'unfortunate accidents'." His last words were delivered directly as he entered Loki's room. The mage didn't answer, only looked over to the button and after a few excruciation moments finally pushed the pump's button a few times. His eyes broadly opened for a few seconds and they slowly started to close again afterward, all his features relaxing considerably. 

"J.A.R.V.I.S. let Bruce know that Skywalker used the pump." As his AI confirmed the action was done, Tony pulled up a chair, took out a small cube from his pocket and sat down next to the bed.  

"This is the first time I have heard you... use one of my proper titles." The god's words were slurred, evidently, the morphine was taking effect.  

"Yeah, we use it as a code, don’t need anyone snooping around and finding your name around here." Tony started to fiddle with the colorful cube, shifting it back and forth in a trance. 

"I do not understand, it is still one of my titles... will it not be just as recognizable as my formal name?" There was an obvious tone of concern and fear laced with the mage's words. 

"It's a long story. Don't worry, no one will find you here, my security is the best." Gloated Tony. He constantly upgraded his software, it would take far too long for anyone to hack his system and J.A.R.V.I.S. would detect any attempt with more than enough time to stop it.  

"I thought your precious S.H.I.E.L.D. was able to break it and trap you inside your own residence before." Said the god, doubtful. 

He had to admit that one hurt. "Hey! That was one time. It won't happen again." Since then, nothing has been able to pass his watch. He wouldn't let that happen again. He had too many things he needed to protect. 

"I... I apologize... I-I did not mean to offend, please... I-I'm sorry... I.." Fear was too evident in the god's eyes. He was terrified and tried to back away from a confused engineer. 

"Wow, calm down, Shakespeare. It's ok, I said I wouldn't hurt you, geez... Look, I'm a wits type of guy, I like sass and comebacks, something like that won't offend me enough to break my promise. I might be an ass but I keep my word." Said the engineer.

"I... I see... Forgive me for overreacting then... May... May I ask something?" Permission to talk, no one cared to ask Tony for permission to talk, ever.

This was far too uncomfortable for Tony, he had to make Loki understand somehow that there was no need for stuff like that... It was just too weird... It made the Avenger feel like he was... As if he was like The Ten Rings... A kidnapper, a torturer... Tony had to change that, soon. After a few seconds of awkward silence, Tony remember to answer. "Sure, ask away."  

"Why... Why would... No... I meant... What is that in your hands?" Asked nervously the god. Tony was sure that was not the question he wanted to ask, but he was willing to let it slip for now. He still didn't quite have the answer to the question that hung in the air.  

"Oh, this little thing?" Tony lifted the small cube he had forgotten he was fidgeting with. "It's called the Mystical Cube of Rubik's." 

"Please do not patronize me Stark." Tony laughed at this. He couldn't tell if Loki was still scared or not of talking back when he made comments like that.

"One moment you're scared shitless to speak up and then the next the sass comes back almost full force. I can't tell what's going on in that pretty little head of yours." Said the engineer as he fidgeted with the cube a few more times and finished all the patterns.

"Trust me, Stark... You do not wish to know what transpires in my mind..." There it was again... The fear... 

"Ehm well, anyway, it's a Rubik's Cube, it's a puzzle, a toy. You have to move the pieces so that they all match. Each face has a different color.  I like to let my hands wander around with it when I have to think. I don’t even have to look at it anymore to do it. Part of being a genius." Tony broke it apart and began to solve it aging and could almost taste the amount of interest that poured out of the god. His eyes were fixed on the colored tiles an the longing was almost palpable. "You... Wanna try it, Rock of Ages?" 

"May I?" Asked the god, his eyes sparkling with something like hopeful joy. It hit Tony. It hit him _hard_. Those eyes. The fact that such a simple thing could make those eyes sparkle with so much joy was too much. How could anyone think that what they did to him back in Asgard was fair?... How could anyone break another being without breaking themselves?... He couldn't stand it. Tony abruptly stood up, knocking the chair back, making the god whine.  

He stared at the face in front of him and swore he would kill whoever did this, he would find everyone who was responsible and he would beat them bloody. He would fly them into the atmosphere until they could no longer breath, and right before they lost consciousness, he would let them go and would watch how their suffocating bodies fell and hit the ground and he would enjoy the sound of all their bones breaking, he wou-

 _"_ _ir_ _! Sir!"_ Snapping back to reality, Tony heard his concerned AI's voice. _"Sir! It seems Skywalker is having another panic attack!"_  

Tony'd lost sight of that in front of him to the amount of hate and anger he felt. It was slowly returning to him now. "Wha... Why? What happened?" 

 _"Sir, you suddenly stood up and stared down at Mr. Skywalker in extreme rage. He tried to apologize but you didn't respond and he began to hyperventilate."_ He had been completely lost rage. So full of hate that he hadn't noticed he was looking at the alien at all. Loki surely must have thought it was all directed towards himself.  

"Lokes! I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that, it's not you I'm mad at, look at me please." Tony didn't comprehend were all those morbid thoughts came from... he had never been so mad in his life, aside from his hatred towards the Ten Rings. It was understandable that he hated the Asgardians as much as the Ten Rings for what they did, but he had never wished his tortures such an awful death...

"I.. I'm so sorry... I will not ask for it again. I'm sorry... Please forgive me.." Loki could barely move on his own, his entire left arm was in a cast, his whole torso was covered in bandages and stitches. His right leg was immobilized with a removable leg boot cast and his head was wrapped in bandages and gazes. It was impossible to move without excruciating pain. Nevertheless, the god desperately tried to curl in on himself, shielding his face with his good arm. 

"Loki... You don't have to apologize, it's not you I'm mad at, you can use the cube if you want. Please look at me, I won't hurt you, I promised, remember?" Tried to reassure the engineer. 

"Pr..promise?... Pro... Promises mean nothing!... Lies!... Lies.. It is all lies..." He shook ferociously, his voice sounding smaller and smaller with each word. It was a terrible sight to behold. His arms were skin and bone, malnutrition evident in their paleness. His naturally beautiful and sharp features were far too pronounced to be healthy. 

"Well I'm Tony Stark, my promises mean a lot, I told you I keep my word, please, I swear I won't hurt you."  

"Please..." The purr was gone, the delicate but strong song that was his voice was replaced with the frailness and fear of a small child who calls out for their mother in the dark. 

"I swear I won't... Here” Slowly Tony placed the cube by Loki's side on the bed. "You can have that one, I can get a new one... Please look at me..." tried to offer he avenger. 

"Sta... Stark..." The trembling arm was slowly lifted, showing a glimpse of eyes filled with desperation. Yet he still wouldn't look at the engineer, his sight was set on the cube now. 

"Come on, use it. Well, I guess it'll be a bit hard to play with it with just one hand but I bet you can do it, you're smart, not as smart as me, I am a genius after all, but close... Come on... Look at me, please..." pleaded the inventor. 

Slowly the god set his hand down, picking up the cube. He looked at it for a moment and then his eyes locked with the Avenger's. "I... May I?..."  

"Yeah! Sure, use it... Ehm... You want some water?" Without waiting for an answer, Tony stood up and walked over to the table where a jar of water was set.

"I.. I would appreciate some..." Answered the god as Tony picked up two cups and filled them with water. As Tony sat down again, he saw that the mage had already solved one of the faces.

"Oh wow, that was fast. Quick learner, I see." He knew the god was insanely smart, maybe just as smart as himself actually, or more. But it was refreshing to see it proven. "I bet by the end of the week you'll get it done." Tony told Loki as he set the cube down and held the cup with the straw. 

"How many days are left for this week?" Asked the god intrigued after taking a gulp of water.  

"Today is... Tuesday night, I think, so five days." Tony wasn't sure, he had long lost track of time. He had Pepper and J.A.R.V.I.S. to remind him of stuff like this.

Right on quo, the AI's voice filled the room. _"Actually, Sir, today is Friday. It's already 6:25 am. That would make it three days."_  

"I do believe I could get it before the day ends, Stark." That delicacy was returning to the god's voice. That mesmerizing purr. 

"Ohhh, if you get it by today, I'll take you out on a date when you get better, sweet-cheeks." Tony didn't actually mean to say anything like that. But he was the eternal playboy and the words just... slipped out. He wanted to hit himself for being such a dickhead. No way would Loki want anything with Tony. He had been tortured and raped... No way that he would take those words lightly.

"Is that a challenge, Stark?" Yet that was the answer that left the pale lips. It surprised Tony. He surely expected another panic attack, certainly not this. But he might as well go with it for now. 

"Sure, if you don't get it, then you'll have to on a date with me." _Shut up, Tony! Stop making it worse!_ Thought the idiot genius.  

"I do not see the difference between winning and losing if those are the proposed conditions." _Safe for now..._ He should really shut up and leave before he blows everything. 

"Well if you win, you get to choose where and what we do. If you don't, you're stuck going and doing whatever I choose, how about that?" _Keep it simple Tony. Don't get so involved. This is only a one-time thing. Just to keep him happy. Afterward, he's going to a cell. Not to be tortured but to actually pay for his crimes, in a fair way, but in a cell. He is still an enemy. A sexy alien demi-god enemy..._

"Do... Do you mean as... A servant?" Said the mage in a small voice.

 _Shit... You're the world's biggest asshole and the most retarded genius._  "What? No! No no no, if you really don't want to go or do what I say then its ok, I won't force you to do anything... If you're not ok with it, I'll choose something else to do..."  _Fix your shit, Stark._  

"I see... Then I accept this challenge, Stark, but I must warn you that I have a rapid learning pace. I do expect to win this challenge." _There we go... There is it... The purr... You're a fucking idiot, Stark. The world's freaking biggest asshole and the most idiotic, dickheaded genius._  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was so nerve wrecking for me, ideas just wouldn't pop into my head! In the end, it was the power or The Mystical Cube of Rubik's that helped me. I was solving mine, as I often do, and I placed it on my forehead and then the ideas just popped! Hope they were good ones and that you enjoyed them. 
> 
> P.S. Thanks Jay for the suggestions, you'll probably be seeing some of them in the future ;)


	9. What will they do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> X.X Sorry for the late update, I lost half of the fanfic and had to rewrite it all.
> 
> P.S. I went to see Doctor Strange and Fantastic Beasts and I ABSOLUTELY LOVED both! I'll probably add a Dr. Strange cameo at some point X3 
> 
> ENJOY~!

The bridge was as brilliant as it always was. Each step taken on its surface was light up by the vivid colors of the universe and was accented with the soft notes of the song of the rainbow. But he had long forgotten to appreciate the glamor of the Bifrost. He mounted his horse and rode forward in a hurry. Leaving the bridge behind, he reached the city and called for people to make way and made sure to avoid any who did not heed his warning in time.

He had been away for far too long. During the long year and the countless battles, he had had enough time to think of what he should have done since the moment he came back to Asgard. He was aware that the battles had to be fought, but he should have taken the time to do the right thing. He should have set it as a priority. He should not have let his emotions get in the way of true justice. It had to be done and he had to be there to do it himself. 

He reached the palace and headed down the stairs to the dungeons in haste. He still had not thought of what he was going to actually say or do but he had hope that when the time came, the words would flow and his actions would be just. 

The guards posted on duty saluted him and tried to inform him of something but he had no time for them, he passed the main doors ignoring them. He walked down the last corridor and immediately noticed something was wrong. He ran and looked into the cell which lights had been turned off and saw nothing, it was empty. Quickly he entered the room which had the shield lowered and searched the room.  

There was nothing left, he could still feel traces of that unmistakable magic but no sign of its source. "Guards! I demand to know what has happened!" The guards by the main door who had followed him in flew into the room to answer their call.  

"The prisoner was removed from his cell a few weeks back. He was sent before the Allfather an-" without waiting for the guard to finish, he rushed out of the dungeons and headed for the throne room. Disregarding the guards who told him the Allfather was busy, he nearly blew the doors off their hinges as he ran in the room.  

This could not be happening, he finally understood what most be done but once more he was too late. Always too late when it mattered. Always too late for his brother... "What have you done to him?! Tell me what have you done to my brother!" He stared at the figure that sat at the throne and looked straight at the Allfather and his wary eyes. He needed answers. He had to know what he could do. He simply could not let this go now that he knew what had to be done. 

"Thor... My beloved son..." 

* * *

 _Three weeks have passed since Loki came to the tower and so much has happened in that period of time._ Thought Pepper as she carefully observed from a distance the scene unfolding in front of her. "Ok, I'll be removing the cast now, try not to move your arm, please." Said Bruce as he prepared his tools to start.  

"Don't worry Lokes, he knows what he's doing. Plus I'm here, you know everything is better when I'm here." Said Tony in his flirtatious tone. Lately, it was the only tone that he used to speak with the god. 

"I do have a certain degree of doubt on that matter, Stark." Responded Loki with a tone much too similar to Tony's.  

Pepper couldn't understand what was going on. She knew her boss was capable of flirting with anything that had legs, but this seemed different, like he actually meant some of the things he said. All his compliments were real, he was always far too honest and straightforward. Yet his compliments normally didn't have any real special feeling behind them, now this was different. 

In those three weeks, Tony had spent most of the time with the god. She asked J.A.R.V.I.S. frequently what they did and the AI answered that they spent it talking mostly, sharing stories of their childhood, talking about how human and Aesir science and technology worked and differentiate. Rather average stuff in general, which would be ok if this wasn't the most melodramatic and narcissistic duo she knew. 

Tony even brought the god a few classic books, some popular ones and a few about modern science and technology. According to Tony, the god would read them in a few hours and could understand them easily. Tony often mentioned that Loki was a rapid learned but it all just seemed so impossible for Pepper. 

A few times she even sat down in the chair far from the bed and would just stare at them in awe. It would normally take them half an hour or more to notice she was even there with them. She knew they were similar in many ways, but to actually see them interact in such mundane ways was really weird.  

"Ok, done, you can try to move your arm now, but do it slowly. I'm going to have you do a set of exercises daily for the next week to make sure it healed alright. For now, I have to leave so try to not move it too much 'till I come back." Said Bruce, as he cleared the cast's residue and packed his tools back in the bag.  

"Thank you, Dr. Banner" answered the god with a smile. It looked so genuine and it only confused Pepper more.

"No problem, but you should really let the nurses help you more, Tony and I have vouched for them, please trust they are here to help, no matter what their personal opinion might be." Responded Bruce as he got ready to leave. Pepper had to think carefully of what she would do next and took the chance to leave the room as well. 

She was conflicted, to say the least. She was almost certain that the god wasn't faking his injuries, but she couldn't tell what he was trying to do here. Was he trying to get Tony to trust him to later stab him in the back? Or was all this genuinely how he normally acted? Which was the lie and which was the truth?... She couldn't tell, but she was sure that she wouldn't let him hurt Tony... Even if she had to break her promise with Tony and tell the other Avengers... 

* * *

"You're kidding me right?" Asked Bruce with amusement as he walked into the room again and saw the duo playing chess. He had to admit it was interesting and very entertaining to watch the two interact.  

He had thought of their similarities prior to the god's arrival at the tower but to actually see them interact was far more amusing than he had expected.  

"Did you finish watching the marathon? Did you even sleep yesterday?" Asked Bruce. It was nice to see Tony out of his workshop, interacting with people again but the medical side of him was annoyed at the lack of sleep his patient was getting. 

"Nah, sleep is for the weak." Answered Tony while commanding his tower to move. _Did he make that chess board? Of course, he did, all the knights have his face._ Thought Bruce. 

"Loki _is_ weak right now, he has to rest, you can't keep him up like that, Tony." It was true that he was healing much faster than any normal grown human male would, but he was still 88% mortal at the moment, they had to make sure he healed properly. 

"I'm sorry, Dr. Banner, that was my fault, I asked to continue watching... And if I recall correctly, you fell asleep during Deathly Hallows, Stark." There was a hint of guilt and fear in Loki's apology, but it was quickly hidden behind the joke and his next's move's command. 

"I closed my eyes to mourn Hedwig." Said Tony as he pouted at the board. 

"And I presume that snoring is also part of the mourning costume for mortals? Check." Annoyance flared in Tony's face. The engineer was an excellent strategic player, he had even beaten Reed Richard at chess before, to be placed under check surely would come as a great surprise to anyone. 

"Oh shut it, I made you the most accurate and detailed holographic Wizard's Chess ever created so your sorry ass doesn't get bored. And I know both you fellas are trying to distract me, probably made a deal with each other, but I'm not losing now." Said the engineer determined. 

"And I am truly grateful for the amount of effort you grant me... I still do not comprehend why you do so..." The last words were but a whisper, barely audible but loud enough to render both scientist mute for a moment. They still hadn't determined why they were doing all this or what to do next beside place him in a decent cell, but Bruce didn't want to think of it at the moment. He could see the strong bond that was building between those two and he dreaded the day it would have to end.

"And I am sad to announce that you are mistaken, Stark. You loose, Check and Mate." Bruce laughed at the astonishment in his friend's face but was not really surprised. Everyone knew the god was a genius as well. Tony had truly met his match.  

Not many were able to keep up with Tony and understand him intellectually and as a person. It made him sad that his friend's match was actually an enemy. It made sense, everything about Tony was overly dramatic, but it still didn't seem fair in many ways. He truly wished they had met under different circumstances... 

* * *

 _What am I even doing...?_ Tony asked himself. He wasn't sure what was even going on anymore. He spent most of the time with Loki nowadays but he couldn't tell if it was out of pity, out if scientific curiosity, because they were so similar or if it was something else.

He repeatedly told himself it didn't matter for now, but the god was healing fast and soon they would have to make a decision. He wasn't sure if he would make the right one, or what the right one even was, but he would have to decide something soon. Making the last move, Loki spoke "You have lost yet again, Stark, Check, and Mate. But this was not a fair game, your mind is lost in a distant place." Said the god. 

"Huh? Oh sorry, yeah I'm kinda bored of playing... You want some coffee? I'm falling asleep here." He wanted to trust and forgive Loki. He couldn't tell exactly why, but he did. The mage had already paid more than enough for his crimes, physically, but Tony had to make sure he actually felt regret or understood that his actions were wrong. 

"If I bore you, you should have let me known earlier and I would have stopped wasting your time..." _That tone sure sounded like a deflated balloon... ok, Stark, you're poetic skills need works as well as your indecisiveness, oh and your sensitivity as well, you dick wad._

"No no, it's not that, you don't bore me, I dare say you're one of the funniest people, or well beings, that has had the pleasure of talking to me. But I've barely slept and I only drank one cup this morning so I'm due to another shot." The alien understood many things no one else around him could even begin to grasp. It was always so refreshing to speak and be fully understood.  

"I see. It pleases me to hear you say that you enjoy my company. And yes, I would very much like to try coffee." Said the god with a small smile. Tony wanted them to be friends, or maybe something closer... but how? How would everyone else react? how would Tony explain it all? _Wait... try?_

"Wait a minute, try? As in, you've never tried coffee before??" well firstly, how was Tony going to even bring up the fact that the god has been in the tower for three weeks now?  

"Yes, last time I was on Midgard, I was a little too... preoccupied to try the local cuisine." Said Loki with a grimence. 

"Right... Well it's a deal breaker for me so you have to try it. You like bitter things? I'll just bring a few things for tasting." Tony walked out if the room before the god could answer. He hated being reminded of the New York incident. It triggered bad memories and to have the one that caused most of it in front of him, did not help his tired mind. It also did not help the decision making.

One moment he wanted Loki to be free and pardoned for all his crimes seeing as he had been punished enough and the next he was doubting the god, asking himself if this was all just an act or if the god would try to conquer them again if he escaped. No matter what, Loki would have to eventually prove himself, then the decision would be made. 

Tony placed the coffee machine in the doctor's lounge, and a few other things, on a cart and brought it back to the room. He set all the things in place and made different types of coffee for Loki to try. He grabbed the first cups and sat down on the chair next to the bed. "I'm not a great cook but prepare to be mindblown by my exceptional coffee making skills." 

"Why would my mind explode?" Asked Lokes looking concerned. 

"No... that's just... an expression... just expect to me amazed by my skills. Prepare that royal pallet of yours for awesomeness" tried to explain Tony as started to prepare the first cup.

"Ah, I see, another of your strange mortal phrasings. Exceptional skill, you say? I certainly shall be the judge of that. I do not expect much more than it to be tolerable." Said the alien, exerting as much Royal energy as he could being both physically and menthally injured.

"Rudolph the Rude Nosed Reindeer, that's who you are."

* * *

Loki had to come up with an escape plan soon. As soon as he healed enough to move freely, he had to leave. No matter how much he wanted to stay, he simply could not wait until their kindness ran out. Both avengers had treated him with much care but it meant nothing to the god. It could not. He would not let it mean anything. Soon, as everyone always did, they would betray him. 

The company of Tony had been truly enjoyable. The mortal had spent most of his free time with him and had helped with anything that Loki needed. He had brought books, games, and movies to pass the time and had spent many hours talking with the god of many different topics. I was not often that Loki met someone who could keep up with him intellectually. Most Aesir valued strength and honor over everything else, almost none but himself valued knowledge and intellect. _Well, you are not actually Aesir after all._ Bitterly though Loki. 

But all that did not matter. Surely it was to gain something from the prince. It aways came down to that in his life. Everyone who showed him kindness always expected something in return. No one did anything for free. He had learned this the hard way early in life. 

Yet there was still a small spark of hope in his heart. He truly longed for someone to understand him. For someone he could trust. For someone he could depend on fully. For far too long he had been alone.  

_No! It does not matter! I will get out of here, I will escape and go as far away from the nine realms as I can! I refuse to let anyone else betray me. I will betray them before they get anything out of me... I can not permit... I can not let my heart be... be shattered again...  I refuse to be told what to do. I refuse to submit. I refuse to be hurt anymore!_

"You ok there, Mr. Grumpy? You'll shred the sheets if you grip them too tight." Said Tony with the cup of coffee in his hands. Loki had to calm down, he could not let his plans be discovered. 

"Ah, forgive me... I... made a wrong movement with my arm and it hurt badly." Tried to cover up the god. 

"Mention that to Brucie later. For now, try the coffee. Careful tho', it's hot, not as much as you but still, watch the tongue." Said the human with a wink.

"Thank you, it is very much appreciated... Sta-" before Loki could continue, the red headed women walked into the room with quick steps. 

 _"Miss Po-"_ the voice in the ceiling began to say but was immediately stopped by the mortal women.

"J.A.R.V.I.S. mute." She ordered the sentient voice.

"Hey, why're you muting J?" Stark asked her, a bit annoyed as she headed for the opposite side of the room.

"Tony, just don't..." said the woman as she stood by the wall.

"Oh come on, what did I do now?" Asked the avenger as he stood up. From the door, another voice answered. One Loki had heard for the first time in Germany. One who froze all the blood in his veins.

"You kept a very important matter secret from your team and you aided an intergalactic war criminal, Tony. That's what you did." said the Captain as he walked into the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooooohohohoho what shall happen now?!?


	10. A beautiful lie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go! We reached 10 chapters! Yay! We're not even half way through tho X'D this is just the beginning. 
> 
> Hey if anyone feels like talking to me or wants to give me a more personal opinion of the story, you can find me in the Loki Amino community, my ID is king_of_mischief. Ima kinda the leader XD

"Steve?! What are you doing here?! J.A.R.V.I.S. un-mute. Why didn't you tell me he was coming here?!" This could not be happening. Tony knew the time would come that he would have to tell the others and they would have to make a choice, but this was too soon. He couldn't let them take Loki away, not yet, not until he understood what was going on between them.

 _"I'm sorry, Sir. Miss Potts found a loophole and muted me so I could not warn you in time."_ No, he wasn't ready yet. Not yet. Why didn't they get that it was too soon?!

"Pepper... I trusted you... I trusted you and you ratted me out..." It had to be Pepper, out of all people. His most trusted friend betrayed him... Now more than ever he understood Loki... He had been betrayed by Stane... But to be betrayed by Pepper was on a whole different level.

"Im sorry, Tony, but we can't trust him! He tried to take over the world, hundreds died because of him!" Said Pepper. Right there, that was the last straw... He made his choice. Right then and there he made his choice. There was no need for more thinking. Everything was clear now.

"So did I, Pepper. For years, millions died because of my inventions, but you and many others stood by me and did nothing to stop it. Life gave me a second chance and now I'm paying back by being Iron Man. Now Lokes, he's paid enough already for all of it! Did you even see his injuries?! He was stripped of his magic, tortured and raped. He has paid enough, make him do some charity work if you have to, for the public eye, but he's paid enough as it is!" Argued the engineer.

"That's not for you to judge, Tony. Besides we don't really know if he's telling the truth!" Shouted Pepper.

He would protect Loki, no matter what. He would help the god and do anything it took to save him. He would teach him that his actions were wrong if he didn't already know it and he would help him pay for his actions with good deeds in return. No cell, no prison, no punishments. No more.

"He can use magic! How are we supposed to know if it's not all just an illusion?!" He could not believe this was coming from Pepper, who had pointed a knife at the god's throat and had seen he was not faking. No one could fake such intense fear.

"Freaking. Science! Magic is just science that hasn't been explained. Bruce and I take readings of his magic countless times a day, he would probably pass out if he tried anything big." The more they argued, the worst Loki's condition would get. He had to take this somewhere else before something bad happened.

"No matter what your excuses are, your first priority should have been to inform us, Tony. Second should have been to hand him over to S.H.I.E.L.D." And there was the good ol' cap, always butting in with his righteousness at the worst possible moment.

"What? So they can throw his dying ass in a cell for weeks, claim they didn't know he was _that_ injured and then take the liberty of dissecting him?" There was no way he would hand Loki to S.H.I.E.L.D. They would use any excuse to torture and experiment on him.

"Tony you know the-" Steve was interrupted by a sharp scream coming from Loki. Green light and mist were covering his body as it vanished.

"Stop! You're going to kill yourself if you do that! Loki stop!!" But it was too late, the light picked up intensity and blinded them all. Once they could see again, the bed was empty. Loki was gone.

"I thought you said he didn't have magic!" No.. No, no, no! This could _not_  be happening! Tony had to find him. A trick like that would probably knock him out. A disoriented PTSD demi-god alien is NOT a good idea, for him and for anyone around him.

"He only has like 12%! Doing something like that would drain him completely! He might fucking die because of you two! J.A.R.V.I.S. start a search for his magic readings. He probably has almost no magic left in him but there should be at least a trail." Instructed the engineer.

"We have to find him, Tony. Now." Said Steve. Tony had to take control of the situation. No one else could know what was happening. He had to keep it a secret from the others for now. He had to bargain with the cap.

"Yes, but Steve, please, just you, me and Bruce, please let us explain before you tell the others, please. He couldn't have gone far with the amount of magic he had, he's probably still in the tower or in the nearby areas."

"... Fine... But only because the Hulk would have come out by now if he felt Loki was an actual threat. But you better have an _excellent_ reason for this." The soldier sounded furious and a furious soldier was never a good companion in a search mission.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence..." said Tony sarcastically. "J.A.R.V.I.S. you got something?" Asked Tony, his voice tainted with deep desperation.

 _"He doesn't seem to be in the tower, Sir. Shall I broaden the search for all of Manhattan?"_ Asked the AI.

"Shit... Yeah, do that, buddy. Also, tell Bruce to meet us at the tower's entrance. Oh and tell him to bring his med kit. Cap, let's go catch ourselves a god." Said, Tony, as he headed out the door.

"Let me get my shield." Noooo no no no no. Not a good idea. At all. The god was freaked out without the uniform, striped spandex would probably give him a heart attack.

"No, no gear. We are not gonna fight him. The guy could barely move as it was, he's probably laying somewhere, having a panic attack and bleeding to death because you two assholes just had to barge in and scare the living crap out of the barely magical guy suffering from some serious PTSD. So no suite, no gear." Said the inventor sternly.

"Alright... Let's go, before I change my mind and call the others." They both head down the corridor, straight for the main elevator.

* * *

Everything was blindingly white. He could not see or hear anything. He did not know where he was, or if he was even alive. Every part of his body hurt and he could feel some of his injuries had reopened. Everything around him stank. He could not stand up and he could barely breathe. Everything felt cold, too cold even for him. Yet he was sweating. He felt sticky and disgusting. It was bad, really bad.

Loki was scared, really scared. He remembered back to the times in the dungeons where they would blind him and chain him down for days. He would scream and thrash until the stitches in his mouth would tear his lips apart. He would be left with a shredder mouth for days and then his lips would be healed so that they could be stitched again.

Countless times he asked himself if the guards did it for their entertainment or if they just did not want to bother with torturing him themselves... He could not tell which was worst... He was scared, so scared.

He kept trying to adjust his senses but nothing worked. He started to panic. He was terrified. Would he die here? Would he die alone? What if someone found him? What would they do? What if the Avengers found him? What if Heimdall told Odin that he had done something as terrible as run away from his mast... No, he would never use that word again. His captors. What if he sent guards to collect him?

He had to get away. He could not stay there, but he also could not move. Everything was cold. Everything was wrong. It was terrible. It was awful. He wanted it to end. All of it. He could not take any more of it. He tried to get up but only fell back down.

"I.. I have to move, I have.. I have to move... Can not... Can not stay, can not, can not... No..."

He was going to die. He was going to die, no matter what. Stark had lied. He lied. He said he would keep Loki safe. But he lied. This was the plan all along. To pretend to be friendly to then betray him and hand him over to S.H.I.E.L.D. Everything he had said and done was to make Loki feel safe and understood. It had all been part of the plan. It had all been a lie, a beautiful lie. He made a weak attempt to laugh and swore with no effort to kill Tony for lying to him if he survived. It was a beautiful lie indeed, even for the God of Lies.

The whitness was fading and he could make out shapes. He assumed he was in some type of ally or corridor by the giant walls beside him, but it no longer mattered. He was losing consciousness. From white to grey, to dark, so much darkness, to black, oh such pure blackness.

His hearing was next. The sharp ringing became noises. He could hear the sound of machinery, he presumed it was the vehicles he had seen the first recent time he had come to Midgard. Also the sound of bustling people. They were far away but he could hear people rushing by and talking. Humans going on about life without a care in the world. He was dying and it mattered not to them. It had no effect on their pathetic existences. They just kept going and going and going, nonstop, until they died and rotted deep in the soil, then it all started again with the next lowly soul.

He was going to die in the most miserable way. He had always thought he would go out with at least some type of glory, but it seemed appropriate in the end. The monster and his pathetic and miserable death. Nothing more fitting than to die forgotten.

He thought he saw someone walk into the ally and shout but he was not sure anymore. The shapes were all blurred and the sounds were indistinguishable.

In the end, Stark had finally proven to him that he was truly a monster and no one would ever care for him. No one would trust him. No one would love him. He would die and no one would even care. A typical death for a monster.

He felt something move beside him and felt something touch him but he could not care less at that point. He was going to die, what did it matter if someone robbed him? He did not carry anything of value on him, he was still wearing his hospital clothes, he presumed, so it was a worthless effort.

Another pair of what seemed like hands touched him and started to lift him. Were they taking him somewhere? He had heard that some mortals sold organs in Midgard. Maybe they wanted to take out his. He internally laughed knowing that it was probably useless considering his organs were not functioning properly nor did they worked like that of a mortal. They would be getting faulty merchandise out of him. He wanted to protest being manhandled but there was really no point in doing so.

The ones carrying him set him down somewhere and he could feel that it moved. It could be one of those vehicles, he thought. One of them opened his eyelids and shone a light at his eyes. It was uncomfortable but he did not move away. He just wished he lost consciousness ones and for all.

Just as he thought his wishes were coming true, he heard a voice. Someone was trying to talk to him, urging him to wake up. He slowly opened his eyes again and tried to focus. It was a male with short brown hair. The male spoke again and his voice might have sounded familiar. Was it Stark?

"St... ark?" He tried to focus again but immediately regretted it. It was not Stark or anyone he knew.

"Hey, sorry...  but this is going to hurt... We'll be as gentle as we can... Again, sorry..."

No... _No!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments, Kudos, Subscriptions and Bookmarks give me life and help me keep writing so please hit those pretty little buttons~!
> 
> Also, it's the only way for me to know people are actually reading this ;3;


	11. World Inside the Tree

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song for this chapter is Kate Covington's cover of the song Come Little Children: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1t8-_pI1-9Q
> 
> Hope you like the chapter, it was interesting to write.

"What are you doing, sweetie?"

"Mother? Where am I?" Loki looked down and saw he was standing inside a pond. He scanned the areas around him. He saw the bushes filed with the brightest of wild flowers, tamed into perfection. He saw the stone path that slithered over the grass like a serpent. He could see all the trees with their marvelous fruits and flowers in full bloom. He was right at the center of the garden he loved and knew so perfectly well.

"In my gardens... What is wrong my child? Why are you inside the pond?" 

"I... I am not sure... I had a night terror... I dreamt everyone had betrayed me and horrible things were done to me... I can not recall exactly what those things were, but it must have been tremendously bad, I was terrified... What could that all mean?" Asked Loki, feeling a sinister cold slide over his bones.

"Nothing my child, they were just night terrors, they are not real. You are safe here. Now come out of that pond and dry your clothes before you get sick." 

 _"My dad's gonna kill me if he sees him here, in my room."_ Said a distant voice.

 _"I'm sorry Harry, I'll say it was my idea. "_ he heard another voice say. Two different male voices. Children maybe.

"Who said that? Who goes there?" Even as distant as they sounded, he could hear clearly what they were saying.

"Who said what? What are you going on about, Loki?" He looked around and saw no one. He was completely alone. Something aside the voices was odd but he dismissed it.

"I... I heard two voices... Did you not hear them, mother?" He was sure he had not imagined it. How did she not hear them? Why?

"No, child, now please come out of that pond." Quickly, he stepped out of the pond. He used the spell he had learned so many years ago, when Thor and his friend constantly pushed him into the pond, to dry himself.

_"Well that could work, he totally wants to disown me and adopt you."_

_"Don't say that Harry... Now, Peter, explain to me why we can't take him to the hospital?"_ A third female voice joined the other two.

 _"We just... Can't... Please trust me, Gwen..."_  

"There! Now they are three. Do you not hear them Mother??" He sent out low waves of magic to scan the entire garden, but found no one. There was something wrong here. He could feel it. It was not the voices, they were strange, but not menacing. Something else was happening, something he could not see.

"No Loki, you are simply tired and imagining things. You should sleep, rest for a while, you deserve tranquility."

 _"Pete, you may be a major science geek, but you're no doctor. I'm with Gwen on this one."_ Said the slightly deeper male voice, Harry, was it?

 _"On this one? What do you mean on this one? I'll have yo-... Did he just move?"_ asked the lighter male voice, Peter or Pete.

"Mother who are they? Is this some sort of jest? I thought it was me who was usually prone to mischief." He smiled at his comments. Many did not approve of his tricks, one being the All-father. But from time to time, as the All-father scolded him, he saw his mother quietly laughing. He knew she enjoyed some of them.

"There is no one else here but you. Now come over to the tree. Lay down and rest."

 _"Harry, go find something made of silk and put some ice in it and bring it."_ said the lighter male voice. 

 _"Why silk?"_ asked the other boy, doubtful.

 _"Don't question the science geek, just do it before we have to explain why there's a dead body on your bed."_ rushed the lighter voice.

 _"Fine."_ reluctantly agreed the boy with the deeper voice.

"I am not resting until I find where this voices come from and what is it they want." said Loki as he scanned the area again. 

 _"Silk? Really? Not your best so far. So I'm guessing this is Spidey stuff. What's going on Peter?"_ Asked the female voice.

 _"He's either not human or a mutant, doctors wouldn't know what to do with him. Hey, you conscious there, Sir?"_ Sharp pain overtook Loki's mind.

"Don't listen to the voices, my child. Come over to the tree. I remember how you discovered, back when you were oh so small... that one of the biggest trees in the garden, the one with the massive trunk, was dying from a fungi infection. I remember how you removed all of it, but it was too late for the tree. I remember you removed the dead wood from inside and kept the outer appearance with magic and made a hiding place for yourself." There was no one in sight and his magic detected nothing, he was truly alone. The voices might truly only be his imagination.

"No one ever found you or your secret tree. You would hide for hours, sometimes crying, sometimes sleeping and sometimes laughing at how well your pranks had worked on your brother. You made it into a safe haven for yourself. When you figured out how dimensional magic worked, you made it even bigger on the inside, added a table with a chair, a bookcase and even a bed. You even made a portal between your room in the palace and the tree, behind the fireplace."

"I never told anyone about the tree, or any of those moments, not even you, mother. How do you know of this?" Nervously asked the young Aesir. 

"I know everything about you, sweetie. You hide no secrets from me." There was no way she could know of the tree, since the moment he created it in his childhood, every day he had added wards and spells to protect the illusion from ever being found. Not even the Allfather himself could ever find it. How could she possibly know?

 _"Here you go Pete, ice on silk."_ Said the only slightly deeper male voice.

It should deeply concern him how she knew of the tree, but for some reason he could not concentrate on the matter, he suddenly felt tired. He tried to focus, but it was impossible.

"Sleep now, my Loki. Lay down and rest. Come by the tree and let me sing to you as you sleep." Not being able to do anything else, Loki walked towards the tree. The world around him suddenly grew but it did not concern the prince. Younger Loki placed his hand on the tree's trunk and entered his private world.

"Come now. Rest on the bed, allow me to sing you a lullaby." Slowly, Loki walked down the corridors towards his chambers. As he progressed in magic, he made the inside of the tree bigger and added more and more rooms. He stored books, weapons, and all sorts of rare artifacts he acquired through his long life. His currently small body did not match up to the years he knew he had in this tree. But he ignored all the small warning signs that kept popping up everywhere. He was too tired. He needed sleep. He should have listened to his mother sooner.

 _"I... I think he might be catatonic..."_ said the lighter male voice.

 _"Catatonic? For him to be catatonic, something seriously traumatizing must have happened to him, Peter..."_ said the young female voice.

 _"His injuries kinda makes that obvious."_ Said the slightly deeper male voice.

Catatonic? What did that mean? No, it did not matter, he decided to ignore the voices. He would only hear his mother. He finally arrived at the chambers he had made for himself at the very core of the tree. He looked around and everything was just as he remembered. The walls were covered with books of all sorts. It was his most priced collection of knowledge.

He took the book that laid on the bedside table and caressed the worn leather cover. It was a book of stories from his childhood. It had been his favorite while growing up. No matter the situation, it always brought him comfort to pass the pages and see the pictures his mother had drawn to make the stories more lively.

Passing the massive bed, he headed for the wall with artifacts. He carefully looked at them and reliving some of the memories, some were good, some not as much. Every time his eyes would linger in one who's memories were not of great time, pain would strike his head and his need for rest would increase.

"Come now, child, sleep."

 _"Ok, I've patched up his wounds... he lost a lot of blood... I don't really know much about catatonic states but it's gonna be impossible to wake him if we don't know what happened to him"_ said the lighter male voice, loosing a bit of the jesting  Loki only now noticed he always carried around, turning more serious. He was young and obviously not used to such serious matters.

But why would the voices not stop speaking? Did they not understand he wanted to sleep? He laid down on the bed, that was too large for his small child body, and closed his eyes.

 _"I could probably help with that, kid."_ Said a familiar, deeper and older male voice.

 _"I'm so sorry, Master Harry, they just stormed in."_ Said a elderly male voice.

Two more voice. One familiar, one he felt he should recognize, and one old voice. 5 people were now speaking in the mind of Loki.

 _"Mr. Stark?!"_ Asked the lighter male voice.

 _"Move it kid, you've done enough."_ said the familiar voice.

Stark? He could have sworn he had heard that name before, but where? Where was that name from? The more he tried to remember, the sleepier he felt. He could barely keep his eyes open anymore. He could hear his mother's singing and could feel her brushing his air. He was alone in the room, he knew she was not really there, but he could not process it or accept it.

 _"Come on Lokes, wake up. Don't go comatose on me."_ said the familiar voice that was laced with concern.

Lokes? Who was Lokes? Too tired. He was so tired.

 _"I'm sorry... I swear I didn't plan this. The Captain promises not to hurt you, he wants to hear your side of the story. Please... This is my fault.. I'm sorry Loki... Please wake up..."_ pleaded the familiar voice. He felt how weird it was to hear him plead but could not remember why.

Loki.... That was his own name, right?... Stark only mentioned his name when he was really worried.

"No Loki, do not listen to him. Stay here, rest, ignore everything els-..."

"Mother?..." He looked around and for the first time actually saw were he was. He was alone, his mother was not there. He had been alone all this time. As soon as he understood that non of this was real, his body was violently launched through his own mind. Every memory landed a physical blow on his body. His skin was shredded to pieces and was covered in blood and tears, not only his own, but also that of everyone he had hurt, everyone he hard wronged. It hurt. It was too much. He did not wake up screaming, everything hurt too much to scream, only tears ran down his face as he opened his eyes.

"Hey... hey there, Lokes. It's me, Tony." Stark was standing besides the bed Loki laid in.

"Why?..." Loki said as he closed his eyes again. He had a massive headache. Every part of his body hurt but his mind was the most vulnerable and raw.

"Why what?" There was so much concern in the mortal's voice. Too much.

"Why did you wake me? It hurts, everything hurts so much..." He wanted to sleep and never wake up. Far too much filled his head and he could feel the major damage that little teleportation trick did on his body.

"I... Eh... I don't know what to answer to that first part but we'll take you back to the tower now, hook you up to the morphine." There was so much concern and now confusion on Stark's voice. Why so much?

  
"No... Physically everything hurts as well, but I mean inside... I have done so many horrible things. Why would you help me? I have wronged you so much..." It just did not make sense. Anthony Edward Stark made no sense. Why was he here? Why was he helping him? Why was he so concerned? He could not afford to trust a former enemy so why did he felt so compelled to take the comfort Stark offered?

"Well.. I guess it's cause you remind me so much of myself. I've also done terrible things you know... I used to make weapons of mass destruction..." Silly things compared to what the alien had done.

"But the things I have done are wrong in such a larger scale..." Such a larger scale. He had cause so much damage and was the cause to so many ended lives.

"You've paid enough for all of it, okay? As far as I'm concerned, you're clean. Now is your chance to start anew, prove you can be better. First step is admitting you did something wrong, so put a check there. Second is regretting it and wanting redemption." He could not believe what was leaving the mouth of Stark... Should he trust him?... Could he really redeem himself, even if he had already become the monster everyone feared?... He was so tired..

He no longer cared for what others thought. He would try the way Stark offered ... He would trust again... Just once more. But that meant he had to explain everything that had happened and he was not sure he was ready for that.

"I am so sorry... I did not truly wish to hurt anyone. I had to do it... It was the only way to ensure time for the nine realms... I am so sorry I had to cause so much damage..." Agonizingly apologized Loki.

"Wait what? What do you mean you had to? Had to what? Time for what?" Asked Tony. No... Not yet, he was not ready for that conversation. He needed time to think and sort himself.

"... I am so sorry... Ple...please allow me some time... Alone... Please..." _Sorry Stark.... Please forgive me and give me time..._

"... Okay, hey kid! Anywhere we can go talk in private?" Stark address a kid who Loki recognized as one of the voices he had heard when he was lost inside his own mind.

"Oh, ye-yes Mr. Stark! I'm Peter, she's Gwen and this is Harry's house, we could go to the study, right Harry?" The male child seemed to be overly nervous around Stark. Maybe he idolized the avenger.

"Ehh sure, I guess." Another male child, taller than the first, answered. His voice he had also heard a few times. The slightly deeper one.

"Ok, Im leaving my phone here next to you. Just call out to J.A.R.V.I.S. when you're ready and he'll call My other phone. Got it?" Stark placed the small device close to his head on the bed.

"Y..yes... Thank you, Stark..." He had no idea how to use the device but if the sentient being that managed the tower of Stark was somehow in control of it, then he understood that he simply had to speak to it for it to work.

"Jeez, I wish you would call me Tony. Stark's too formal... Ok crew, let's move to the next room!" Stark addressed the three children and the two other avengers.

"We're leaving him alone?" Asked the captain as he pointed at Loki on the bed.

"Yes cap, he can't stand up on his own yet, but even if he could I highly doubt he would go anywhere. J.A.R.V.I.S. would notify me anyway. So let's go talk, but first, you three speak a word of what is happening or what we're saying and I'll sue your ass and trust me, you cant afford me, even if you're an Osborn." He pointed at Harry.

"Our lips are sealed, Mr. Stark!" Responded the child who was named Peter as he made a horizontal movement over his lips. That one seemed smart for a child, he know recognized that he was the one who had guessed that Loki was not human.

"Ok, ring me when you're ready, Lokes." Said Stark who was obviously trying to seem happier and more calm that he truly was. He was concerned, nervous and sad. He did not understand why he felt such things but he could clearly see each emotion. It astounded Loki that others usually could not see how the avenger truly felt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aha! Who was expecting it to be the friendly neighborhood spider? Also, I love doing Mind Palace and dream stuff. X3
> 
> If you didnt get it, Loki was in a state of denial and was trying to imagine his most comforting things like his mother, the tree and his most emotionally priced objects. If he'd fallen asleep inside his own mind, he would have probably fallen on a coma or catatonic.
> 
> P.S. Excuse the medical inaccuracies, Im no medic but I tried, plus, he's not fully Midgardian, Aesir or Jotnar right now. Xp


	12. What led us here

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for posting late, I was doing some Christmas shopping~

"J.A.R.V.I.S. Gimme something." Tony asked the transparent screen projected on the car's front window. He had made that upgrade some time ago. It showed small things like the temperature, hour, if someone called and GPS directions. He could make the windows go dark and project movies on it or for simply some other, more _pleasurable_ ideas.

 _"The trail ends in this ally, Sir. Should I check the nearby building's cameras to see if anyone entered and left this ally?"_ Loki's magic trail had directed them to a dark ally close to the tower, but there was no one there.

"Sure, just do that." Why hadn't he thought of that? He was too stressed and worried to think straight. In the video he saw what seems like two teenagers going into the ally and carrying a body out. There was no mistake that that was Loki. One of the kids carried him most of the way, until a third one appeared and helped to carry him into a car and the three of them drove away.

It made no sense how the first kid could carry Loki. The god was skinny but he was tall and had heavy bones. He shouldn't have been able to carry him with those small arms. There was something about the kid, but it was the least of Tony's worries.

"J.A.R.V.I.S. follow that car with the video feed of all cameras in Manhattan, all New York if it's necessary, and map me a route."  
After a few seconds, the map formed in the car's screen.

"Wait... Isn't that the Osborn Mansion? That's like 12 minutes from the tower." Said Bruce from the passenger's seat.

"Looks like we have some 'body snatching teens with connections'. And 12 minutes? I'd say 5." Said Tony, bring tú car back to life.

"Tony don't you dare bre-" Steve started to say but was cut off by Tony stepping on the gas, making the soldier slam backwards into his seat.

"Sorry, Cap... Actually, I'm not, but whatever, just shut it. Until we've found him and made sure he's alright. You have no right to speak to me... So shut your annoying trap." Tony was furious... He understood the Captain, he did. He was doing what he thought was right. What made sense. But Tony was too pissed off to listen to reason.

They made it to the mansion and Tony had J.A.R.V.I.S. hack the security just before arriving. They passed the front gates and parked right at the front door. Tony quickly got out without waiting for the rest and slammed the doors open. An old servant quickly tried to stop him and asked him to wait but he passed by him and ignored his pleas. He stormed in and asked J.A.V.I.S. to locate the kids with the mansion's security. They where in what seemed like a bedroom in the top floor. Quickly he ran up the stairs.

"...it's gonna be impossible to wake him if we don't know what happened to him" Tony half heard a kid's voice say. Abruptly, he opened the doors to the room and walked up to the kids by the bed.

"I could probably help with that, kid." He kneeled by the bed and took Loki's hand in his and placed the other hand on the god's feverish head.

"I'm so sorry, Master Harry, they just stormed in..." Said the old servant.

"Mr. Stark?!" A short, brown haired kid almost screamed. Tony immediately recognized him as the one who mainly carried Loki. He seemed too skinny to be able to pick up the god's weight that easily... How did he do that? Well it doesn't matter right now. He had to help Loki.

"Move it kid, you've done enough... Come on Lokes, wake up. Don't go comatose on me... I'm sorry. I swear I didn't plan this. The Captain promises not to hurt you, he wants to hear your side of the story. Please... This is my fault.. I'm sorry Loki... Please wake up..." Slowly the god's eyes began to flutter open as tears poured down his face.

"Hey, hey there, Lokes. It's me, Tony." Tony quickly let go of him and moved a bit back to give him space.

"Why?..." Loki said as he closed his eyes again. His face was contorted into such anguish. It hurt Tony to see him like that.

"Why what?" He could hear so much concern in his own voice but he couldn't help it. He was genuinely worried. He had just found him, he was not ready to loose him after finally deciding what to do.

"Why did you wake me? It hurts, everything hurts so much." The strain in the god's voice was palpable and Tony didn't know how to respond.

"I... Eh... I don't know what to answer to that first part but we'll take you back to the tower now, hook you up to the morphine." He would get him anything he needed.

"No... Physically everything hurts as well, but I mean inside... I have done so many horrible things. Why would you help me? I have wronged you so much." Was he... Was he starting to regret the things that he had done?

"Well.. I guess it's cause you remind me so much of myself. I've also done terrible things you know... I used to make weapons of mass destruction..." Now that he thought about it. He's had enough power to try to take over the world, mind you, he would have succeeded.

"But the things I have done are wrong in such a larger scale..." Well, on actions already taken, he had a point, but that didn't matter, Tony had made his choice.

"You've paid enough for all of it, ok? As far as I'm concerned, you're clean. Now it's your chance to start anew, prove you can be better. First step is admitting you did something wrong, so check on that. Second is regretting it and wanting redemption." Said the avenger.

"I am so sorry... I did not truly wish to hurt anyone. I had to do it... It was the only way to ensure time for the nine realms... I am so sorry I had to cause so much damage..." Ensure time? What was he going in about?

"Wait what? What do you mean you had to? Had to what? Time for what?" Asked Tony. Was there even more to the story than they thought? What more was there? Tony had to know. He needed to know, to understand Loki and everything about him.

"... I am so sorry... Ple...please allow me some time... Alone... Please..." _Idiot. Give him some time, Tony. Buy him some time..._

"... Okay, hey kid! Anywhere we can go talk in private?" It was a mansion after all. It had to have some comfortable private place.

"Oh, ye-yes Mr. Stark! I'm Peter, she's Gwen and this is Harry's house, we could go to the study, right Harry?" The kid seemed to be overly nervous around Tony. Maybe he idolized the avenger. Tony would have thought the little fan boy was cute if he wasn't so annoyed and worried.

"Ehh sure, I guess." Answered the slightly taller Osborn kid with little interest.

"Ok, I'm leaving my phone here next to you. Just call out to J.A.R.V.I.S. when you're ready and he'll call my other phone. Got it?" Stark placed the small device close to his head on the bed.

"Y..yes.. Thank you, Stark..." Stark, it was always Stark. While flirting it was hot but he wanted to hear the god say his name as well.

"Jeez, I wish you would call me Tony, Stark is too formal... Ok crew, let's move to the next room!" Stark addressed the three kids and the two other avengers as he tried to herd them out of the room.

"We're leaving him alone?" Asked the captain as he pointed at Loki who laid on the bed.

"Yes cap, he can't stand on his own, yet, but even if he could, I highly doubt he would go anywhere. J.A.R.V.I.S. would notify me anyway. So let's go, but first, you three speak a word of what is happening or what we're saying and I'll sue your ass and trust me, you cant afford me, even if you're an Osborn." He pointed at the Osborn kid.

"Our lips are sealed, Mr. Stark!" Responded the kid, the fan boy, in a haste.

"Ok, ring me when you're ready, Lokes." Said Tony as he finally pushed everyone out. They moved to the study in silence.

* * *

 

As they arrived, Tony pointed at fan boy and said. "First, you. You said you patched his wounds and stabilized him, right?"

"Tony, I should go back and check him..." Interrupted Bruce while approaching Tony.

"Give him a few minutes... He needs to be alone to think... Trust me, I want to check on him as soon as I can... But we have to deal with this and he needs space. Kid, you patched him up, right?" Asked Tony.

"Ye-yes! I.. I used to be beaten up a lot... So me and Gwen have learned how to patch up all sorts of surface wounds." That still did not explain where all that strength came from... He would look into that later, when things cleared up.

"Ok. Now sit down and don't talk 'till we tell you to." Tony quickly dismissed him and he's attention shifted towards the captain.

"Yes.. Sir..." Said the poor fan boy a bit disheartened.

"Ok, let's see, where do we start..." Tony started to say and trailed off.

"Clear from the very beginning, if you don't mind, Tony..." Said the soldier, annoyed.

"Fine, but you're gonna sit that pretty little patriotic ass of yours down and you'll listen carefully. No interruptions 'till Bruce and I are done, s'that clear enough for your super soldier ears Cap?" It was the only way to make sure everything was said and heard properly and to give the god time to think.

"Yes..." Replied the captain a bit resigned at his friends attitude and 'lack of proper judgement'.

* * *

 

Slowly, both Tony and Bruce explained all that had happened since the god's arrival. How he had crash landed and left a decent crater in the desert. How he's magic levels where down by 88%. Bruce explained all the injuries and their severity. They explained everything they knew. Down to the smallest of details.

"Ok, that's everything 'till the second you arrived at the med bay. And you saw how he disappeared... Now, kid, your turn." Tony pointed at fan boy, who had been listening intently.

"Me?" Asked Peter.

"Yeah, tell us your side, how did you find him?" It also made no sense how the kid was walking normally with his blond friend and had suddenly turned and ran two allies to the right. He could not have heard anything from that far away...

"Oh, ehh well, Gwen and I were walking towards the Stark Tower, we had school field trip. I was so hyped when the teacher said we were going. So we were walking and I sensed, I mean... I had a bad feeling and then thought I eh, heard something coming from the ally... So we went and checked it and saw him on the floor. At first I thought he was a chick, like, cause of the long hair and slim features, he was facing downwards, hair everywhere, so I couldn't see his face. Anyway, seemed hurt so I ran to help. Saw he was actually a dude and called Harry to ask his driver to pick us up outside the ally and carried him to the car. Brought him here, patched up his wounds and then you came in and I still can't believe you're actually here. I'm such a huge fan. I'm so honored I-" that wasn't the whole truth but it was enough for now.

"Okay, okay, enough. Sorry but for now I only need what happened, not your diary entree." They had to take him back to the tower, there was no time to waste on fangirling.

"Excuse me, I'm sorry, I know this is a delicate situation and a matter of world wide security, but Peter here idolizes you so it would be nice if you stopped being rude to him. He did just save your alien god." Spoke the girl for the first time since they arrived.

"Alien god?" Asked Tony. How could she possibly know about Loki?

"Alien god?" Asked Peter confused at his friend's words.

"Yeah... I didn't recognize him by his face, since most records were wiped, but I did recognize the name while you were speaking. Loki of Asgard, God of Mischief, Thor's brother, the one who tried to take over the world." Stated the blond girl.

"How do you know all that? No one aside those who work for, and with, SHIELD know if him..." Said the captain a bit perplexed.

"My dad is a policemen and was reporting to Manhattan for some case and got caught up in the attack. One of the lucky ones to survive the incident. Took what he shared with me, made some research and pulled a few classified files form his study and connected the dots. Not too hard really. Anyway, we've done nothing wrong and have been nice even thought you broke in here. So I do believe we deserve an apology and a few thanks." Demanded blondie, proving wrong the dumb blond stereotype.

"Thank you for saving him and forgive Tony, rude is his default mode, specially when he's passionate about something." Said Bruce, with a hint of amusement at the last part. What did he mean by passionate?

"And we haven't heard from him all that supposedly happened in Asgard yet, right?" Stated more than asked the captain.

"No... We've gone slowly with the questioning... We don't need a demi-god dying from a panic attack, Steve." Answered Bruce.

Suddenly the song Shoot to Thrill filled the room's silence. Quickly, and even more annoyed, Tony took out his second phone and answered it without looking an the caller. "Talk. Fast..."

"St.. Stark?..." A small and terrified voice came from the other side. It was Loki.

"Oh! Sorry, didn't see who was calling. You ready over there? Something wrong?" He had totally forgotten the whole giving him his phone to call when he was ready thing.

"It is alright, I believe I'm ready to speak... But... Could I have some water first? And maybe something to eat?... It is a rather long story..." Well this should prove the be interesting.

"Sure, Rudolf. We'll bring you something." Tony hanged up without saying goodbye.

"Ok, he's ready to talk so let's move. Osborn kid, could you get some water and fruits... Erm.. Please?" The girl had a point, he shouldn't be mad at them, they saved his god after all.... Wait his? When did he start saying his? Why his? Wha-.

"... I tell the butler to bring stuff for everyone." The Osborn kid's annoyed answer dragged Tony out of the swirl of thought in his mind, back to reality. They left the study and arrived at the room as the Osborn kid gave his butler orders.

Pulling up a chair from the nearby desk, Tony sat next to the bed. "Ok, story time, how about we start with what happened in Ass-land as soon as you two left earth?"

"I would rather speak of some... Events that happened before I arrived to Midgard... Which explain the reason behind my actions." Slowly, Loki explained. Before arriving to earth?

"Oh, the thing you said about buying time?" So there was even more. Seemed like soo much more. Both the Osborn kid and his butler arrived and placed trays with water glasses and plates of fruit and snacks on the desk.

"Yes... Is the name Thanos familiar on Midgard?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohhhh we finally get to hear everything that's happened, from Loki's side, in the next chap!


	13. Story Telling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update, I sorta lost track of time. But we finally get to know what happened! 
> 
> Warning: mention of non-con/rape, torture and some suicidal thoughts.

"Yes... Is the name Thanos familiar on Midgard?" Asked Loki as he carefully tried to sit up.

"J.A.R.V.I.S.?." Stark asked his sentient creation as he helped the god.

 _"No information under the name Thanos. Although, there is the god Thanatos in Greek mythology."_ Answered the being after a few moments of thinking.

"Gimme that then." Said Stark as he sat back in his chair.

 _"Thanatos, also known as Reaper of Souls and God of Death. The Roman name is Letus or Mors. Thanatos was the Greek personification of death. Unlike the Erinyes, he was the god of peaceful death, just by touching a person, they would die."_ Carefully said the being in the device as though it was reading from a parchment.

"Is that him?" Stark directed the question towards the god.

"No... Reaper if souls may be, but no such thing as peaceful death... He was born on Titan, one of the moons of Saturn. He is known as the Dark Lord or the Mad Titan... He is a powerful, cosmic warlord who rules over distant regions of space and commands the massive army you encountered, known as the Chitauri. He is obsessed and infatuated with the concept and personification of Death, known as 'Lady Death', not this... Thanatos you speak of. He reverences the Lady of Death and kills whole planets and galaxies in his fervor for her..." Loki stopped for a moment to take a breath and continued. 

"After falling from the Bifrost, when I... Let go of Gungnir... I fell into the void. I was lost, floating in nothing for what felt like an eternity... The void is a terrible place, there is nothing, not a sound, not a light. It is pure emptiness. Even a mare glimpse of the void could drive mad the mind." Explained Loki while trying to control his fear from showing in his voice.

"I... I think I saw the Void... When I went through the wormhole... It was just for a bit... But it felt like the longest bit of my entire life..." Said Stark in a wary voice.

"Your mind is strong, it would have taken much more than that to drive you mad... But I suspect that is the main reason for your night terrors since then..." It would certainly explain the dreams that haunted the mortal, the nightmares as he had called them when he tried to comfort the god after a specially bad one.

"So you fell into the Void... For how long?" Asked the controller of the berserker, Dr. Banner

"You lose all notion of time in the void...and time also works differently there. Mere seconds could feel like millennia... I.. I can not tell how long it was... It... It felt so long... Too long..." Loki could feel the air leave his lungs and his vision start to darken. Falling back into the Boid.

"Breath Lokes... What happened next? " Stark placed a hand on his shoulder brought his mind back to reality. He was sitting here, in a large mortal room, next to three of the Avengers and the three children who had saved him.

"Ah, right... Right... I was floating when he found me... He pulled me out of the Void. But by then my mind was far gone. I could not think, and I reacted purely on instincts... They wanted information from me, but I could not even speak properly... Seeing as I would not speak, they decided to torture me, constantly. They kept me awake most of my time there. They reeled my mind back forcibly and relentlessly. It was efficient, I will admit that it was. But once I could think, I understood that I could not give them any information without risking the safety of the Nine Realms. I continued to act as if I could not think and suffered the tortures while I thought of a solution. And then it came... One night, while I was i..in the... The heating chamber... I heard The Other mention how the Titan was looking for the infinity gems, and I knew that the Tesseract laid on Midgard, so I devised a plan." The god's hands trembled. The more he said, the more control he felt lost.

"You offered Thanos to retrieve the Tesseract for him." Dr. Banner help provide the next piece of the story.

"Yes. The only way to stop his tortures and help the Nine Realms was if I pretended to ally with them. I bargained to borrow the infinity gem already in their possession, the Mind Gem in the Chitauri Scepter. Once in Midgard, I would pretend I was trying to conquer the realm, I would give you a good fight and then I would enact my defeat." Said the god.

"That way you robbed him of an infinity gem, made the presence of another known and alerted the humans to the existence of outside threats. Brilliant!... Ah, sorry for interrupting..." Said the child who he remembered seeing before falling unconscious in the dark corridor.

"Indeed you are right... I understand that you saved me. For that, I thank you. You posses more intellect than your appearance lets on." The child had more potential and probably abilities than his outer appearance suggested. There was certainly more to him. As someone used to being underestimated by appearances, he had learned to read others almost perfectly. He could recognize hidden potential and skills easily. There was something unusual about the child, something that intrigued the god intently. There was power, lots of it, in the child.

"Thank you?" Said the child in confusion. Loki would ask Stark to help him look further into the matter later.

"So let me get this straight... You're trying to tell us that you wanted to save us... By killing so many of us..." Said the Captain, obviously not convinced.

"I know you have every right to doubt my words, Captian... But I had no choice. He had to believe I was on his side... He could see everything through my eyes. The scepter held influence over my actions and he could see in my mind, my thoughts. Before suggesting my plan, I created a few hidden rooms in my mind, of course. Places where I could think freely, but they were hard to access and his mind was present too often in mine..." oh how he could still feel his presence in his mind. He could feel the sharp claws that still held on to his will. Had he his power, maybe he could heal his mind but as it was, were the Titan decides to turn his eyes to the god, he would be as vulnerable to his control as a child.

"I still find it a bit hard to believe... Then why New York? If you didn't actually want to conquer or kill us, why such a highly populated area?"

"'Cause he needed an audience. H need everyone to see him trying. What good is a show without an audience?... I always wondered why New York, why such a nonstrategic place. Why not D.C.? I would have hit D.C. Huge population, plus immense government power." Said Stark with sincerity in his voice.

"Tony..." Warned the Captain.

"What? I'm just thinking strategically here, I'm not doing a repeat of Gandalf over here's plan." Said Stark as he pointed at Loki and gave him an apologetic smile. 

"Yes... I could have chosen someplace more strategic, but again, it was never my goal to truly conquer your realm. No matter what, I would direct your actions towards using the Chitauri Scepter as a key to close the portal with the small idea I planted in the mind of Dr. Selvig, and then I would pretend defeat. Yet your berserker, Dr. Banner, made it so that I did not have to pretend much. The beating you gave me also helped loosen somewhat the influence the scepter had over me and made his mind partially leave mine. I... Thank you for that..." It had definitely not been a pleasant experience, but it had been effective.

"Oh... Sure... You're welcome, I guess?" Said the doctor, a bit embarrassed and confused.

"Ok... So that's what happened here... Now, what happened after you and Thor got back to Asgard?" Asked the Captain unamused.

"Yes... I came before the Allfather and he decided that my punishment was to be... Imprisonment for life... And ordered the guards to do anything necessary to 'bring back his son' and 'get rid of the monster inside him'... His intentions were to supposedly cure me, not break me... but he was vague and the guards took the liberty to assume that ‘break’ meant ‘kill’… therefore they allowed themselves to have... their way with me…” it was getting harder and harder to speak fluently. He felt his throat run dry. He took a large gulp from the glass of water set beside him but felt no relief from it. He had to explain things he would rather never remember or speak about to any other living soul.

"So they really..." The Captain, who had been standing tall and defiant, suddenly deflated and could not even form the words that surely continued in the story.

"Mostly everything your small, pathetic little mortal mind can think of, they did to me... They tortured me in so many ways, Captian... They stitched my mouth... plucked my nails... poured venom down my face... burned, pierced, chained and ripped my skin, only to heal it and to start again! Bathed me in boiling water, breached and ravished my unwilling body, thrust their erections into my screaming mouth! Starved me! Beat me! Bound me! Soiled me!! BROKE ME!!-"

"LOKI!!" Stark shouted as he shielded his face. Loki was releasing erratic energy in the form of pricks. Stark, being the closest, had a few sticking out of his hands but they soon faded. Lowering his hands, Stark looked at Loki who had stopped dead in his tracks.

Loki was terribly pained and scared. He was hyperventilating, holding back the tears from flowing and the panic from overtaking him purely by the shock of having hurt Stark. He had hurt him... The only one trying to help him... The god could not cope with his actions and quickly started, instinctively, to wave a spell to teleport away. In the back of his mind, he knew it would probably kill him but he could not stand being there anymore.

He would rather die than face the rage of Stark directed towards himself. He would rather die with the memory of a caring Stark, the memory of a warm smile from the only person to show him kindness after he had destroyed everything important to him. Not the hate and disgust that was bound to set on the face of the man. As the spell started to form in his mind, the green light that always accompanied his magic started to flow.

"Oh no, you don't! I won't lose you again!!" Before Loki could finish the spell or understand what Stark said, he felt soft lips on his own, a rough, but gentle hand barely touching his cheek and another firm hand on top of his own on the bed. Loki knew that he should probably push him away, that he should teleport before the last memory of something good in his life disappeared, or that the real intentions of Stark were finally revealed, but he was too stunned to move.

Silence quickly overtook the room. No one quite knew what to say or do. No one understood what was even going on, probably not even Stark himself. The avenger quickly let go of the god and sat back in his chair and finally broke the silence.

"Right so... Don't go anywhere... We're... We're not done here, eh... How about you continue with... With how you got to Earth."

"I..." The mind of Loki was blank. He could not think straight. What had that just now meant? Was Stark after his body? Was that why he was being kind? Was he like his guards? No... It was not quite the same... The touch of Stark was gentle and scared even. Like he was afraid of breaking something precious. The guards had never acted in such a way. They had been rough and violent, intentionally trying to break him... He could not understand what this meant.

The one thing he did understand was that it... It did not feel revolting as the touches left by his attacker had felt. He could not tell if he enjoyed it, he was too shocked for that, but it had not been repulsive or made him nauseous... It was... A rather nice difference.

"Lokes? Sorry... I just..." started to apologize the strange mortal.

"What? Oh... Please forgive me... My mind drifted far away... What had your last question been?" Asked Loki, trying to quickly change the subject. He would think about this but at another moment. 

"Ehm... How did you get to back to Earth? Or, what did you call it? Miragd?" Asked the engineer.

"Midgard... I... Yes... The... The Allfather finally deemed me worthy of a visit a few days ago... He said he wanted to see my progression so he decided to visit my cells... But when he arrived... The guards were... Were..." He could not finish the sentence... They had been especially violent that day... It... It was...

"Breath Loki, remember to breathe. Take ten deep breaths." Dr. Banner said, kneeling by the bed.

"Yes... I am sorry... I... I can..." Slowly he took the breaths in and released them.

"Just take a moment. You don't have to rush it." Said Dr. Banner.

"Yes... He saw what the guards were... Doing... And saw it unfit. He... He dragged them away from my limp body and chained them... He was so furious... He demanded to know what was the meaning of such acts. He demanded, but I could not speak... I... I just... Just laid unmoved... I could not do anything..." He remembered being so helpless. How he had just wished for it all to end. How ready he was to embrace death.

"...One of the guards yelled that I deserved such treatments... The Allfather decapitated him on the spot... The others tried to blame me, saying I had taunted and seduced them... I could not believe my ears... I.. I began to sob... Violently... So much... I could... I could not stop.. Everything hurt so much..." He knew the whole event had passed quickly but it had felt so excruciatingly slow and painful back then.

"...The Allfather took me out of the cell, cleaned my body and dressed me with magic... h-he threw the guards in my cell and without a word, took me to the Bifrost... Once... Once there he... I believe he ordered Heimdal to leave and tell no one of what he saw or heard... W-when we were alone, he... He said 'Learn, as Thor once did, my child... Bring back the boy I once knew and loved'... and then he threw me out the B-Bifrost... I... I was too scared and disoriented and I could not righten my body to land properly... which led to the creation of the crater you found me in, S-Stark..." During the telling of his story, Stark had moved his chair closer to the bed and had placed a comforting hand on Loki's shoulder.

"So you were... Right before I found you, you... No wonder you were screaming at me not to touch you... Sorry about that..." As Stark said this, he slowly let go of the god's shoulder but still held his hand. 

"Learn, as Thor once did, my child... Bring back the boy I once knew and loved? What did he mean by that exactly?" Asked, a little skeptical, the Captain, who had gone ghostly pale during the story's worst parts.

"We can leave that for later, we should be getting back to the tower. I really should check him soon, to make sure he's okay." Said Dr. Banner as he stood up.

"Can he walk or should I carry him?" Asked Stark as he winked at Loki.

"Not too much strain 'till I've checked him, so no need for carrying but do help him walk. Also, I think the kids should come with us. Once I've finished checking him, I wanna ask them some questions. Is that okay?"

"Y-you mean go to Stark Tower?! Sure! We'll be glad to help!" Quickly said the one named Peter.

"Okay sweetcheeks, ready to get you and go?" Stark asked carefully as he stood from his chair and helped Loki stand. The mage draped his arm around Stark's neck and felt small shivers as the avenger grabbed him by the waist to keep him steady.

"Y-yes..." Loki said as he tried to hide the small amount of fear the touch had brought him.

"Alright, next stop, Stark Tower." Stark said with the smallest glimmer of amusement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thats was one hell of a chapter. Had a break down while writing of Loki's break down.


	14. Peter's day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M BACK! MERRY CHRISTMAS!! HAPPY NEW YEAR!! HAPPY THREE WISE KINGS DAY!! ETC.!! Did anyone miss me? I sure missed you guys. You're all so awesome. I hope you all stick around 'till the end of the story. X3 
> 
> P.S. sorry for the long wait but lots of stuff happens in my family this last weeks sooo didn't have much time. Anyway, here's this year's first chapter!

Peter could not believe his luck. Not only had he met Mr. Stark, he had just flown the Iron Man suit!

Back at Harry's mansion, no matter how they looked at it, seven people in one modified Audi was too much, so after consideration, Mr. Stark set Loki on the passenger's seat and called his suit.

Loki, probably noticing Peter was such a huge fan of Mr. Stark, had suggested that Mr. Stark should call his suit and that he should let Peter wear it and carry Gwen back to the tower. Both for the joy of the ride and for the space in the car, obviously. Mr. Stark hadn't sounded very happy when he agreed but he set the suit on autopilot and Peter had nearly fainted at the sight of it all. Once inside the suit, he'd blasted off into the sky, securely carrying Gwen.

When they arrived at the Stark Tower's landing pad, robots started to dismantle the suit and store it away. Peter knew of Mr. Stark's AI but actually hearing it surprised him the first time.

 _"Welcome, Sir and Miss. My name is J.A.R.V.I.S. Mr. Stark's AI. Please leave the workshop and head for the medical bay, I shall provide you with the directions."_ Spoke the surprising British voice.

"Oh god. Hi! You're Mr. Stark's Artificial Intelligence program, J.A.R.V.I.S.! Wow. You're the one that runs everything related to Mr. Stark, right?" Peter could not contain his excitement. J.A.R.V.I.S. was the most advance AI created _ever!_

 _"Yes, Sir. I run everything for Mr. Stark. I dare say I run his life for him."_ Answered the AI with amusement. Amusement! An AI with a sense of humor!

"Haha, I can't believe the articles weren't exaggerating, they said you had personality." This was too much. So many dreams were coming true. All in less than an day.

 _"I'll be taking that as a compliment, Sir. For now, this way, please. You may ask Mr. Stark permission for a tour later."_ Said the AI probably noting Peter's eyes rooming the whole room.

"Oh, heh, right. Let's go then. Don't want to keep the mighty Avengers waiting." Peter barely finished his sentence running into a workbench since he was still looking all around. "Ah! Sorry, sorry."

"Come on Peter. Stop making a fool of yourself. You look like a new born giraffe who can't walk and keeps looking up and around... Oh and, J.A.R.V.I.S.?" Said Gwen as she pushed Peter out of the room.

 _"Yes, Miss?"_ Calmly asked the awesome AI.

"What's Mr. Stark's and Loki's relationship?" Asked Gwen. What did she mean with that? They had all heard the story back at the mansion.

 _"Miss, the assigned codename is Mr. Skywalker. Please use it for safety measures... As you know, they are former enemies. Mr. Skywalker fell in Mr. Stark's care after he suffered massive injuries. But I do believe, Miss, you heard the story back at the Osborn Manor"_ Said the program a tiny bit defensively. Or at least it sounded that way. Peter would die for a look at J.A.R.V.I.S. programming and main console.

"Yeah, yeah, I heard. I meant what more?" Asked Gwen a bit impatiently.

"What are you on about, Gwen?" He couldn't see where she was going with the question. They were just former enemies and now Mr. Stark was taking care of him. That's it. Right?

"Oh come on, that kiss?" The kiss? Is that what she's talking about? The quick peak Mr. Stark gave Loki?

"Well... Mr. Stark does have a reputation for being a playboy, I guess it's normal for him." He didn't get where she was going with this at all. Girls and their weird gay senses.

"Peter that was not a playboy kiss..." what was a playboy kiss then? He had to admit he didn't know much of kisses... he wished he could kiss Gwen... those cute rosy lips... stop it Peter!

 _"I don't believe it falls under my appointed tasks to evaluate and interpret their interactions."_ The AI's tone sounded less friendly that when they first walked in. It really sounded like it was being defensive. Can a program be defensive? Was he defending himself? Or was it Mr. Stark?

"Doesn't matter, come on, you must have an opinion or theory or something." Gwen was great at digging for answers but Peter could feel it was not a good idea. He just got here!

"Gwen I think you should leave poor J.A.R.V.I.S. alone... I don't want to be kicked out when I just got into the Stark Tower." Peter liked her for that fierceness and insatiable curiosity she had, but it would get them kicked out!

 _"I do have my speculations, Miss, but I'm afraid you would need higher clearance for me to relay such personal details about Mr. Skywalker and Mr. Stark. Now please enter Mr. Skywalker's medical room and wait for the others to arrive. ETA is 2 minute and 43 seconds."_ Said J.A.V.I.S. with a bit of that amusement back in his voice.

"Well that was fast. Are there chairs or some..." as they walked in, they saw a red-headed figure slumped on a chair. They looked at her for some time, swing if she would notice them, but she didn't do they approached her.

"Hey, are you okay there, Miss?"  asked Gwen and the lady slowly rose her head. Her eyes were red and her makeup was ruined. She had obviously been crying.

"What are you kids doing here? Are you from the school trip visiting today? You're not supposed to be in this area." Said the lady who probably could be no other than Miss Potts in the flesh.

"Are you... Miss Potts?" Asked Peter, trying to not sound excited when he knew he should probably be concerned.

"Yes?" She answered in a shaky voice. She had been crying for a long while.

"Oh my god. You basically run Stark Industries! Well, nor basically, you actually run it since you're, you know, the CEO. Omg this is such an honer!" He could no longer hold it in. He was slowly noticing how amazingly good at hiding his excitement he was.

"How did you get in here?" She asked after truly noticing them. The first time around was more detached acknowledgement.

"We technically are with the school trip but we never got into the tower with them. We helped Mr. Stark with something so he sent us here first." Answered the brilliant Gwen.

"Helped him?" She looked confused and most definitely not convinced. Which was probably not good.

"Okay kids, you better have not broken anything while we were on our way here..." said Mr. Stark's voice as he walked into the room. He glanced at them and saw Miss Pepper who was now standing and looked incredibly hurt.

"Right... just... stand there for a sec while we set him up." Said Mr. Stark as he looked away and set Loki on the bed. 

"Okay Skywalker. You were basically ready to leave the medical bay before this whole incident but since all that happened, you'll probably have to stay for a few more days. Now... I have to check to see if everything is alright... but I can't put you under so we'll have to do this while you're awake. I swear I won't hurt you. It's purely medical and I just want to help. Tony can be next to you and do some of the things but I will have to touch you a bit, okay?" Said Dr. Banner. another of Peter's hero's. He's biochemistry work was just amazingly cool.

"Ye..yes... I understand... I will try to.. to stay calm..." said Mr. Horns looking paler than a bleached piece of white paper.

"Right. Just tell me if you need to breath for a bit at some point... I think it would be best if everyone else went to the waiting area for now, this won't take too long." Said Dr. Banner in full Doctor House mode.

"Are you sure?" Captain 'Merica said, looking like a strict and patrioty super mom.

"Yes, Steve, Im sure." Said Dr. Banner a bit exasperated, which Peter guessed was never a good sign. No matter how much nerding he would love to do, he should probably stay away from Dr. Banner. No need for an accidental rude, but probably brilliantly sarcastic, comment leading to a smashed spider.

They all walked out and headed for the small waiting room and nothing has ever felt more awkward for Peter than that moment right there. The tension was far too evident. Everyone obviously had different opinions of the situation. Miss Pepper kept trying to contain her tears to no avail. Captain 'Merica had his 40's serious frown and Gwen had taken her phone out. All the joy of being in the Stark Tower kind of died.

Quickly looking for something to do, Peter searched for the bathroom. Once he'd founded it and gone in, he'd started to fix his hair but could not quite get it as he wanted it. His spider-senses where everywhere. The tension was nearly palpable and too late he noticed there was someone else in a stall.

As the hinges of the door creaked, Peter jumped startled and stuck himself on the ceiling. The old guy in military uniform coming out simply stared wide-eyed at Peter. He didn't seemed scared, just surprised. But soon enough he's military training kicked in and he pulled his gun out. _Great Peter. Amazingly done. You are the best superhero ever. Why thank you Peter, you're great too._ Quickly he rose (or is it lowered?) his hands and blurred out. "I'm innocent! I swear it wasn't me who clogged the toilet!"

"Get down!" There was obviously no room for jokes at the moment. Soldiers and their soldier seriousness.

"Okay, okay, just please don't make me into Swiss cheese." He dropped from the roof and rose his hands again. (Yeah rose, this time it was rose)

"I'll consider it if you tell me who, and what, you are and how did you get in here." The soldier moved, covering the exit, probably to prevent an escape.

"I'm Peter Parker, Junior at Midtown School of Science and Technology." he stretched his hand but the remembered the soldier probably didn't care for a handshake at the moment.

"Riiight... what what's the other question? Oh, what I am... Ehh it's a long story... but basically a radioactive spider bite me and gave me superpowers." The soldier didn't even blink. Either he was used to hearing weird stuff regularly or was used to hearing made up stuff and had perfected his 'not falling for bs' face, thought this was not bs, but he might think it is. One of those options. Maybe.

"Oh! The other one was how I got here. Well believe it or not, Mr. Stark invited me. I helped him find something and he invited me over to discuss more of it." Peter said with pride. He still couldn't quite believe it. But it was true. He had helped Mr. Stark!

"Find what?" Asked the soldier impossibly more serious.

"Well... it's kind of a secret. He said not to tell anyone so I can't say. I've probably said too much already... oh god I hope he doesn't get mad." Seriously, he'd barely seen the place. Peter was not ready to be kicked out of the Stark Tower yet.

"Oh yeah? And how am I supposed to believe you then if you can't prove yourself?" Well, he had a point there.

"Tough one... oh! I know! J.A.R.V.I.S.! He can confirm it! Right J.A.R.V.I.S.? are you in here? Wait... please tell me you don't have cameras here." That would be very awkward and he would not be using any bathrooms here.

 _"Yes, Sir. I am present everywhere in the Tower and no, the bathrooms do not have cameras. Now, good evening Colonel Rhodes. Mr. Parker speaks the truth. He assisted Mr. Stark."_ Thankfully said the AI.

"With what?" Asked the soldier... wait did he just said Colonel Rhodes?

 _"I'm afraid I've been instructed not to give the details to the nature of such assistance."_ Said J.A.V.I.S. but that's not important... Rhodes? _The_ Colonel Rhodes?

"Well, override that." Stated _The_ Colonel Rhodes.

 _"Im sorry Sir, bur it was written under the omnipotence clearance."_ Said the AI to _The_ Colonel Rhode... AKA War Machine!!

"What? Tony almost never uses that... Kid, take me to Tony. Now." _Oh my god Peter, he's talking, answer, don't fail now._

"Wait, wait... are you really Colonel Rhodes? Mr. Stark's best friend? War Machine?!" Forget containing excitement. Today has been the absolute best day of Peter's life!

"Ehh yes?" Said The War Machine as he lowered the gun which Peter had totally _not_ forgotten about.

"I'm a huge fan! The whole gun pointing kinda kept me from noticing who you were but I'm still a huge fan! Speaking of guns, love the huge one your suit has. It's kinda like a tank, a walking tank. A miniaturized walking tank with the same, or maybe more firepower than a normal tank!" He wasn't a huge fan of the military but he can't deny how awesome War Machine was.

"Right, it's big and flashy. Impressive, I know, but let's just find Tony for now." Said the Colonel as he stored his gun.

"Wait but if J.A.R.V.I.S. couldn't tell you about what Mr. Stark is up to, then I can't take you to see him... you might see what's he doing and I don't know if Mr. Stark wants that. Sorry." No way was he going to make his idol mad. Plus he had Iron Man suits. He did not want to see them _too_ close up.

The Colonel lifted a eyebrow and said "Kid... I have a gun and a great aim. The thing you did earlier is probably not enough to stop a bullet so I suggest you get a move on."

"But... Mr. Stark might get mad..." said Peter.

"You rather face a bullet than Tony's anger?" Asked the Colonel surprised.

"Well when you put it that way it does sound threatening... but I really don't want to disappoint Mr. Stark and I wanna show him that he can trust me. So even if I'm not bullet proof, my reflexes are far better than most people's which makes me quick on my feet. So I'll have to go with the bullet." Peter tried to give his best serious face. He was far from used to having to make a face to deliver his words since he always used a mask, but he had to win this fight. 

"But before we ruin Mr. Stark's bathroom. J.A.R.V.I.S. could you ask Mr. Stark if he gives permission to Colonel Rhodes?" He really didn't want to go against War Machine, but he wanted to help both Mr. Stark and Mr. Horns so if Mr. Stark didn't want the Colonel snooping around just yet, he would prevent it. Besides, he didn't have the War Machine suit on, just a gun. Nothing mayor.

 _"I've already informed Mr. Stark. He's on his way as we speak. ETA is 1 minutes with 12 seconds."_ Said the AI and thank god he did... cause guns are terrifying.

"Oh! Before that! Please, Colonel Rhodes, I beg you, don't tell anyone of the thing you saw earlier, please. J.A.R.V.I.S. as well, please." Said Peter quickly.

 _"... I can withhold the information as long as it's not relevant to any safety issues or if I'm asked. I also do not have sufficient data of this 'thing' you speak of as, again, there are no cameras in the bathroom."_ Said the AI with amusement. Was J.A.R.V.I.S. growing on him?

"Fine. But you'll have to tell Tony if you intend to stick around. Pun intended." Said the Colonel with some amused surprise in his face. Well he probably didn't expect a kid like Peter to stand up to him.

"Ha! Good one." Said Peter trying to act as if he hadn't been terrified of the gun.

"But you have to tell Tony." Added the War Machine again.

"Tell me what? What's going on here? Do I have to get my suit? Are you bullying a innocent kid Rhody?" Said Mr. Stark as he walked in.

"How come J.A.R.V.S. can't tell me what you're up too, Tony?" Asked the Colonel, straight to the point.

"Right... about that... Look, right now is a really bad time for this... Can we not do this right now?" Asked Mr. Stark impatiently. 

"Tony... you have a history of hiding important and dangerous things like the fact that you were dying. So you better tell me soon or I'll barge in here with the War Machine." Said the Colonel referring to the incident about two years back. It had caused quite the scandal when the media finally caught wind of it.

"I'll tell you, I will. I actually want to tell you cause I might need some... advice... but not now. We need to go kid." Quickly answered Mr. Stark.

"Call me later tonight. J.A.R.V.I.S. remind him." Requested the soldier.

 _"I shall remind him, Sir"_ said the AI sounding a bit relieved.

"Let's go then." Said Mr. Stark to Peter.

Once they were in the hallway and far from earshot, Peter asked "Is something wrong, Mr. Stark?"

"I wanna run some test on you and your friends. Wanna check if there's any magic residue on you. Simple stuff. Not harmful." Said Mr. Stark as he typed in something in the Stark pad Peter hadn't noticed he was carrying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to write something more refreshing since sooo much stuff happened in the last chapters so I just went with Peter's view of the day in Stark Tower. I hope I wrote him well. It was quite fun. XD


	15. Test Subjects

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .... 
> 
> I am sorry... I am so so sorry... 
> 
> It's been weeks since my last update. I know, sorry, but its been one hell of a month for me and I'll doubt the next will be any better, so I'll have to lower the update to one chapter ever two weeks, for now. I hope you'll bare with me for some time. 
> 
> But anyway, here's a chap. I hope it's okay.

"That child, Peter Parker, does he seem different to your average mortal?" Asked Loki as he drank some probably much needed water.

"Everyone seems different to me Gandalf, so you'll have to be a bit more specific." Said, Tony, as he worked in his Stark Pad next to the bed Loki sat in. He was wearing new, hospital style, clothes. The other clothes had been messed up badly.

"As if he is hiding some sort of large potential." Well, that caught Tony's attention. He had thought that there was something odd about the kid but he'd thought he was the only one who'd noticed. Once again, Loki proved to be smarter and more observant that he had originally thought.

"Like 'There's more than meets the eye'?" Asked Tony amused.

"Yes, exactly." Disappointingly answered the god.

"We have to fix this soon... References just fly over your head... Excellent references..." there was just so much to do with this guy. He would go mad with all the missed puns and references.

"Seems you will have to teach me this customs at another time." Said Loki with a bit of glimmer in his eyes.

"Oh, the wonderful human things I can teach you. But yeah, I get ya. He's definitely hiding something. The way he "heard you" in that alley, that was too far away for anyone to hear anything and the way he carried you almost single handily. Maybe he's one of those mutants that are popping up everywhere nowadays." He should probably look more into that. There was a lot of stuff happening with them. The whole identification debates and all the accidents and attempts.

"Mutants?" Asks Loki, obviously confused. Right, he couldn't know. Mortal stuff.

"Yeah, they're this humans who're born with superhuman abilities. Each is affected differently, some get super strength, some are fast, others can move things with their minds. Most can do simple things but others could be really dangerous if they went wild. It's all quite fascinating if you're interested in biochemistry that is. Bruce can probably tell you more about it when he comes back with the meds." Said, Tony, as he took the empty cup from Loki's chilly hands and placed it on the bedside table. He suddenly had to hold back the urge to warm those delicate, but probably, or more like certainly, skilled hands.

"Alright, I shall ask him when he returns. Now, if the child is a 'mutant', as you call them, would it be rude to ask him personally? Could we do some tests to verify?" Asked Loki. It shocked Tony a bit that he cared about rudeness. But then again, the whole 'not talking back to your captors unless you wanna be hit' made sense. He seeeeeriously had to fix those insecurities. It just made stuff less fun. But how do you fix insecurity? Positive reinforcement? Or is that just for pets? Tony sure was not one to talk about eliminating insecurities. Tony wasn't about to jump on the hypocrite train.

"Some tend to be really touchy about their mutations. Humans are ignorant shits sometimes and not everyone is quite accepting of differences. So asking is not the best idea if he turns out to be one of the touchy-feely wild ones... I guess I could scan him... just have to come up with a credible excuse." It shouldn't be too hard, thought Tony. He had figured out how to identify them some time ago but he had kept it tight-lipped since he still hadn't decided which side of the debate he was on.

"You said you found me by following my magical signature trail. You can tell them you want to check for residual magic that might be lingering on them from my rough magic use." Suggested, brilliantly, Loki. Tony felt like kissing him again. But he wouldn't... _but why not? Oh right, he probably doesn't want you to. Rape victim and all. So why did you kiss him back then, you idiot? Your usual panic M.O. is to rant, not kiss... stop thinking about it... back to the cover story. Heh, stories._

"God of lies indeed." Said Tony with a smile.

"What?" Said Loki looking... looking affronted, disappointed and scared. All at the same time somehow.

"Hm? Oh, nothing, just that I can see how you got the name. Lies are just stories carefully woven and you come up with fantastic credible stories. It's impressive." Explained Tony, hoping Loki had not misunderstood what he meant.

"Oh... thank you." Said Loki in a low voice with a hesitant smile as he fiddled with the hem of the bed sheets beside himself.

"For?" Asked Tony confused at the sudden change of emotion. Loki looked so different in the hospital scrubs. He looked much healthier than he had 3 weeks ago but still not as fierce as he had on his first visit. They'd gotten him scrubs instead of the typical robes as per his petition. He'd said he felt too exposed in the robes. Made sense. But the contrast of his pale skin with the light blue material was fascinating. Blue looked good on him. If Tony had to go poetic, he would say the getup looked like a bright blue sky with milky clouds... okay, again, Tony, poetry is not your thing.

"No one has ever seen it that way before... They have always seen it as an exclusively negative trait..." how did he go from affronted to almost blushing? Doesn't matter too much anyway. Tony liked to see that light pink color in those bony cheeks. It added a nice touch to the overall view.

"Well they're morons then... Bruce would prob-" Tony was interrupted by J.A.R.V.I.S. voice.

 _"Sir, I'm sorry to interrupt but there seems to be a situation. Mr. Parker has encountered Colonel Rhodes in the bathroom and he is currently questioning Mr. Parker about his reasons to be in that particular area of the Stark Tower."_ Said the AI with concern.

"Damn, why is Rhodie here?" Asked Tony in the direction of one of the cameras. Of all people and of all times... why him and now?

 _"While having lunch, a fight broke out between two drunks in the place the Colonel was eating in. He decided to intervene and received a cut on the cheek in the process. Soon after, he came here to the medical bay to take care of his wound. I suspect he also came to see you, Sir."_ Quickly explained J.A.R.V.I.S.

"Talk about timing..." nagged Tony.

 _"Sir, I recommend immediate action. Colonel Rhodes is persistently asking why Mr. Parker is here at the point of a gun."_ Urged the AI.

"What?! Be right back, Lokes." Said, Tony, as he quickly shuffled out the door and placed his earpiece on. "Why the gun? Rhodie wouldn't pull a gun on a kid unless he had strong reasons."

 _"I have insufficient data because of the lack of vision in the bathrooms but it seems Mr. Parker did something to startle Colonel Rhodes, causing him to take out his..."_ Tony's loyal companion stopped mid-sentence as he spoke in the earpiece.

"J.A.R.V.I.S.?" Asked Tony concerned as he stood quietly, trying to listen.

 _"Sir, I recommend you quicken your pace. Colonel Rhodes is demanding Mr. Parker leads him to you. He has threatened to use his gun."_ Continue the AI

"Just give me the audio." Said Tony already annoyed by the situation.

"...rather face a bullet than Tony's anger?" Asked Rhodie.

"Well, when you put it that way it does sound threatening... but I really don't want to disappoint Mr. Stark and I wanna show him that he can trust me. So even if I'm not bulletproof, my reflexes are far better than most people's which makes me quick on my feet. So I'll have to go with the bullet... But before we ruin Mr. Stark's bathroom. J.A.R.V.I.S. could you ask Mr. Stark if he gives permission to Colonel Rhodes?" He had to admit the kid had guts but how the hell did he think he could defeat Rhodie? A trained soldier? Was he really a mutant?

 _"I've already informed Mr. Stark. Sir is on his way as we speak. ETA is 1 minutes with 12 seconds."_ Said J.A.R.V.I.S. in both directions.

"Oh! Before that! Please, Colonel Rhodes, I beg you, don't tell anyone of the thing you saw earlier, please. J.A.R.V.I.S. as well, please." The insane kid said, panicked.

 _"I can withhold the information as long as it's not relevant to any safety issues or if I'm asked. I also do not have sufficient data of this 'thing' you speak of as, again, there are no cameras in the bathroom."_ Thing? What thing? What was the kid hiding?

"Fine. But you'll have to tell Tony if you intend to stick around. Pun intended." Said Rhodie, giving Tony a few ideas. It had to do something with sticking. A few of the ideas were not proper ones.

"Ha! Good one." Replied the kid amused.

"But you have to tell Tony." Added Rhodie as Tony turned off his earpiece and entered the bathroom.

"Tell me what? What's going on here? Do I have to get my suit? Are you bullying an innocent kid Rhody?" He pretended to not have heard anything. But he was determined to find out what the kid was hiding.

* * *

 

"So you're saying magic is real and the famously atheist Mr. Tony Stark, is going to be checking us for magic. That's like the last thing I ever expected to hear. How do you even check for magic?" Tony could hear the taller kid ask the smaller, odd one, as they entered the lab. _I'm still in the room, you know._

"Don't be rude Harry. Besides, magic is just science that hasn't been explained." Said the odd one as he held the mass spectrometer that Tony had told him to carry. The thing was much smaller than normal spectrometers but it still weighed a lot. He didn't really need it, but he just wanted to prove again that the kid was stronger than he looked without breaking a sweat. He made the other two carry a few other instruments, just to not look suspicious.

"Ha! Well said, kid. I'm starting to tolerate you. Now first thing first. You may gawk and be amazed by my lab. It's only natural. But no touching, don't mess with anything. Second, I don't like to be handed things. Third, don't ask stupid questions." As the kids were speechless for a few moments, too few, by the way, he typed in instructions for J.A.R.V.I.S. Tony had to be careful that they didn't figure out his real intentions, in case the kid was actually far more dangerous than he looked.

"Are those Mark I through V?! Gwen! Look! That's his first armor! The first Iron Man suit. There aren't many pictures of it, but it looks so much cooler in person." And the gawking began. He could have made the test somewhere else, like in Bruce's Lab. It annoyed Tony deeply to have so many kids in his most sacred sanctum, but he would have to tolerate it if he wanted to get the test results as quickly and most accurately as possible.

"Looks huge and really bulky..." commented the Osborn kid referring to the Mark I.

"Hey! No dissing Mark I. You try making a highly advanced suit armor in a cave with spare parts and dinosaur computers. Wait, you said there are pictures of Mark I?" Tony had only once worn the suit, how could there be any pictures of it? Where did they come from and how did this kid find them?

"Ehm yeah... they're not many and most are blurry, but if you dig deep enough, you can find some from clips of interviews and social videos you've made here in the lab, Sir." Said a bit nervously the ki.... what was his name? Peter? Peter Pan?

"Hm... J.A.R.V.I.S. remind me to check that later." Said, Tony, as he dismissed remembering the name.

 _"Will do, Sir."_ Answered dutifully his AI.

"Okay, you, smaller one. Stand on the platform inside the observation room over there. I'll scan you first. J.A.R.V.I.S. relay the information to my com." No point in having to wait longer for his results since they were the only that mattered to Tony.

"Wait... Sir, what exactly will you be looking at?" Asked fanboy with a sort of panic in his eyes. It mostly seemed like his mind had been wandering all over the place and had just realized what was happening.

"Magic signatures... now stand on the platform." The kid was smart but he sure lived in cloud 9 sometimes.

"But what does that include? Is that like a full body scan that checks everything down to my DNA?" But he was undoubtedly smarter than most kids. Which normally would have been good. Except when you're trying to run a secret test he might not approve of.

"No, it's only a superficial scan. But what if it did? Got something to hide? Are my scanners gonna flash the alien alert? I should make a real alert tho... Give them some classics J.A.R.V.I.S, some MNT, Alien, LOTR, etc." Said Tony with a smirk. He had to act casual. He couldn't risk fanboy finding out, in case he was dangerously powerful.

"No! I mean... Of... of course not..." said, far too quickly, Peter Pan.

"Wait, shouldn't you get some sort of permit to run tests on us? We're minors, you can't just scan us like that." And then there was the girl. She was smart, maybe not as much as the kid, but she was cunning as well. It was a good little match, those two.

"My Tower, My Rules. Besides, the scan is quick but the tests themselves take some time, so if you don't wanna die from some weird magic poisoning, get a move on." It was obviously a lie but it was the easiest way to get what he wanted.

"Is that even possible?" Asked the Osborn kid looking nervous.

"Like I know. That's literally why I'm running the test. So just stand there already, before I get pissed off and let you die from magic cancer or something." Peter Pan slowly entered the room and stepped on the platform. It began to glow the distinct arc reactor blue Tony loved so much.

"Oh, and take your shoes off!" Yelled Tony a bit too loudly as he walked into the other side of the observing room, behind the giant glass.

"My shoes? Is it for direct skin contact?" Said Peter Pan, forgetting a bit of his worry and letting curiosity take over.

"Yeah, now stay there while I set up the sensors. You two, besides me." Said Tony pointing at the other two as he tuned all the sensors and began to take readings. The first reading to appear was that of the boy's DNA. To find the muted gene, it would have normally taken a while but Tony soon noticed that there was probably no need to search for it. The kid probably wasn't a born mutant but his DNA certainly was mutated. He started to cross reference the differences with other known DNAs and found similarities between his DNA and that of spiders.

"You sure seem healthy." Said Tony out loud, sarcastically.

"Was that sarcasm? Is Peter alright?" Asked the little girl looking nervously at the screen that was displaying readings she obviously couldn't read.

"Oh, he's fine, so far. Like I said, the important test will take a while. But you're all probably fine. The chances of anything actually happening were small." Said, Tony, as he thought of a plan to make the kid show his abilities.

"Actually, would you mind waiting outside the watching room for a bit. I should be practicing the Doctor's confidentiality thing." Said Tony, wincing at the poor quality of the lie.

"But you're not a Doctor." Immediately said the girl crossing her arms.

"Of medicine, no, but I am a Doctor. Not The Doctor but a Doctor." Joked Tony, knowing that the reference had probably been lost on them.

"He has 3 PhDs!" Screamed from the observing room the spider boy. Oh. Ohhhh that would explain it all. The sticking, the senses, everything.

"Just wait outside for your turn. Do I have to remind you of magic cancer?" Tried Tony again. He was really running out of lies. He wished Loki was here. He probably would have done this skillfully.

"It's okay Gwen. I can take care of myself." Said Spider... man... seriously? Spider-Man? He was just a kid.

"Says the guy I have to constantly save from bullies!" Responded the Osborn kid.

"We'll be right outside if you need anything." Added blonde as they opened the room and walked out.

"Don't worry, mom."  
Said Spidey with a big smile, earning him a glare from the girl.

"Well then. Now that we're alone and this is a soundproof area..." Tony started to tap away on the keys and all sorts of mechanisms sprung to life. From sticks to blades, to heat and cold, all attacking the little spider.

"What?! MR. STARK?!?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh dear, what shall happen next??
> 
> Again, sorry for the inactivity.


	16. The Soul's Name

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops, missed by a day.
> 
> I forgot to mention in the last chapter... 500 KUDOS!! Oh my god THANK YOU!! I never thought this story would go far. I honestly thought I would have to get my friends to read or share it in every page I own to even get a few kudos so thank you soooo much for supporting this story and sticking around. I promise there's so much more to come and some things that I believe will really be something so don't give up on my little story yet! Thanks again!!

"Where's Tony?" Asked Dr. Banner as he walked into the room with a tray of different medical artifacts. He sat down on the chair Stark had occupied earlier. Loki could not really tell specifically why, but there was a big difference in the atmosphere created when each sat on the same chair. Both had earned some sort of truce, in the sense that he could trust his well-being to them. But only for now, until things changed.... But for some reason, he felt more at ease with Stark. Yes, they shared many similarities, but it was a more rooted trust. More instinctual than rational.

"The child, Peter Parker seems to have encountered, and been threatened, by Colonel Rhodes, in the restroom. Stark went to intervene." Responded Loki as he continued to ponder his findings. It bothered the God. He had heard plenty of stories about soul bounds, but he had never truly felt it before. Not the mortal illusion of fate, destiny and 'soulmates'. But the stories of souls who fit perfectly with each other. Who compliment one another masterfully. Not necessarily in the romantic aspect. Could this be it? Could he form a soul bound with this mortal?

"Threatened? By Rhodie??" Dr. Banner asked alarmed.

 _"Mr. Skywalker speaks the truth, Dr. Banner. It seems Mr. Parker displayed an ability that startled Colonel Rhodes, making him point his gun at him, but Mr. Stark has already assessed the situation. He is currently on his way to his laboratories with Mr. Parker, Mr. Osborn, and Ms. Cooper. Colonel Rhodes has left but will be expecting a call from Mr. Stark. It was his request in light of Mr. Stark's refusal to give him information about Mr. Parker's reasons to be in the Tower."_ Said the sentient voice in the ceiling, sounding rather concerned.

"An ability?" Asked Dr. Banner, ever more confused as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. Loki had learned this was a sign that the mortal was stressed. He certainly did not feel comfortable when the mortal was stressed. It was too close to anger and to the beast for the comfort of Loki.

"Stark and I theories that Parker is a mutant or something similar. Stark told me that you could explain more about how this 'mutants' work. That 'biochemistry' was more of your expertise." The mage had learned the best way to keep both Dr. Banner, and Stark calm was to make them talk about their sciences. It was highly interesting to learn about mortal science, but Loki used it mostly to keep them calm and pleased with him. The longer he could keep their good grace, the better. He still needed a bit of time before he could execute his escape plan.

"Ah, yes. It's a highly interesting field of study. Mutants are humans who possess a genetic trait called an X-gene that allows the mutant to naturally develop superhuman powers and abilities. The scientific term for a human is 'Homo Sapiens', but some of the more radical mutants consider themselves to be of the subspecies 'Homo Sapiens Superior' or just 'Homo Superior, an evolutionary progeny of Homo Sapiens and consider themselves the next stage in human evolution, though whether this is true or not is a subject of much debate. Unlike humans like myself, who've developed their powers only after exposure to outside stimuli or energies, mutants are those whose mutations are pre-natal, and whose powers typically manifest at puberty. It's really fascinating. I could lend you a few books that explain their workings much better." Explained and offered the berserker controller.

"I do believe I understand, but the books would be greatly appreciated. Peter Parker may be one of this Mutants, then." Suggested Loki.

"First, lay back down on the bed and bring your legs up. You have to rest for a few more days. And maybe. Is that why Tony is taking them to his lab? To check on that?" Asked Dr. Banner.

"Yes. To prove our theory, I suspect he will scan the boy to see if he possesses this X-gene." Said the God as he sat properly on the bed and placed his legs under the sheets.

"... with or without his consent?" Asked Dr. Banner sounding defensive. Was it something Loki said wrong?

 _"Excuse me for interrupting. But Mr. Stark wishes to share live video feed of the observation room."_ Said J.A.R.V.I.S. as he projected a screen in the air.

"Observation room? What's Tony even doing there?" Asked Dr. Banner full of concern.

"Well then. Now that we're alone and this is a sound proof area..." Loki and the mortal watch as Stark started to tap away on the keys and all sorts of mechanisms sprung to life. From sticks, to blades, to heat and cold, all attacking the little spider. Dr. Banner gapped in horror and Loki was astounded. He would never have thought Stark was going to attack the kid to prove his abilities. Had what Loki suggested been wrong? Long ago, he would have done the same, but now he was not sure it was the best idea.

"What? MR. STARK?!?" The child quickly jumped and avoided a pole going for his legs. But without missing a beat another appeared, headed for his chest. Seeing as the first was coming back for another swing, he leaped into the air and clung to the ceiling. But just as fast, a rotating blade headed his way, aiming for his arms. Letting go of the ceiling, he grabbed hold of the middle bar and swung to a corner of the room. Seemingly sensing something from above. He let go of the wall and flipped back, only to drop flat on the floor when an entire plaque sprung at waist level. The plaque slowly started to lower down, and Peter squirmed trying to find an exit. No way he could avoid that.

"Stop!!" Loki screamed. Almost instantly everything paused and very slowly started to retreat.

"Sorry, sorry. Stopping now. You okay there spidey boy? Sorry about that, but I had to know how your abilities worked and what your limits were. You really do stick around, don't ya?" Joked Stark as he opened the room to the observation room.

"You knew, Mr. Stark?" Asked Peter Parker as he breathlessly took the hand Stark offered and stood up.

"Sorta, you're not very discreet about a few things, sorry, oh and J.A.R.V.I.S. alerted me of Rhodie's stunt with the gun, so I patched the bathroom's audio in time to hear the pun." Said the avenger as he sat back in his chair and signaled for the other to sit as well.

"So no point in planning the big surprise reveal party, right?" Joked Peter Parker as he nervously fixed his clothing and sat down.

"You'll never hear me turn down a party, kid. But it is practically impossible to surprise me. Oh and don't worry. I won't tell your friends if you don't want me to, but only if you answer one important question..." said Stark, sounding serious, but Loki recognized it for what it was. Quoting the mortal phrase, it was 'utter bullshit'. It brought a grin to the face of the god.

"I don't eat flies, if that's the question." That earned a short laugh from everyone.

"No, no, it's a serious, and critical question that must not be taken lightly..." Loki was silently giggling by now. He knew the mortal could make impressive shows, but this was at a higher level than expected.

"Oh... wh-what then?..." asked the boy, fidgeting in the chair that spins and has wheels. Mortals sure invented some useless, yet appealing things.

"The name... Spider-Man? Really? Couldn't come up with something better?" The mixture of how serious Tony looked and how confused the boy looked was too enjoyable. Loki could not help letting out a good laugh. It had been far too long since he laughed wholeheartedly. It was not a quality joke or anything clever, but the simplicity brought a sense of calm joy he had not experienced in years, maybe decades. He missed the fond smile Stark made on the screen where the medical room was shown as he was laughing.

"I mean, Spider- _Man_?? You're, what? 12?" Tony could no longer act seriously. He relaxed into the chair and waited for the story.

"16... My first option was Human Spider, but apparently, the ladies find Spider-Man more attractive." Said Peter Parker after overcoming the confusion. He wiggles his eyebrows at the end of his sentence. Loki still could not understand the mortals and their fixation with drastically moving their eyebrows.

"Debatable. So the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man found my lost kitten. Seems fitting." There seemed to be some sort of reference the God could not quite understand in the words Tony used.

"Tony, mind filling me in?" Loki nearly teleported again at the voice of the captain. He stared wide-eyed at the figure in the doorway and cursed himself for not having noticed his approach.

"Steve? Why are you even there?" Asked Tony sounding alarmed. It eased the mage just a tad to see how protective the mortal was of him. It made no sense, but he rather take any comfort he could find right now than to think what it meant.

"You left me waiting and took the kids down to your lab, so I thought I might as well try to understand the situation with Loki better." Said the captain sounding resigned. But what was he resigning to?

"You better not start any fights in my tower. But back to the main subject, so far, not a naturally born mutant but his DNA is definitely mutated. Mind spilling the beans, kid?" Tony asked the spider child. He was acting like he was relaxed but Loki could see the tension in his shoulder.

"Oh, well... long story short, I got bitten by a radioactive spider, Sir." Said the kid blushing a bit. He was obviously not used to being the focus of attention.

"Where?" Asked Tony, sounding genuinely curious but drifting from the main topic.

"That question is rather irrelevant, Stark. What is the extent of the changes the bite produced on your body?" Asked Loki wanting to not sound as scared as he was in the presence of the captain. He nearly succeeded, but somehow Tony had sensed his discomfort as he stared at the god in his side of the video feed.

"I can basically stick to anything, and I have hyped senses, Mr... Skywalker." Loki now understood the reference as he had seen the movies with Tony while recovering and it was evident that the child also recognized it as he smiled at the code name.

"What about the webbing? I've seen videos, and I've seen you shoot what looks like webs. Do you produce them yourself or is it some sort of mechanism?" Asked Dr. Banner as he wiped his glasses.

"Web shooter gadget thingies. Made them myself from scrap parts I found." Said Peter Parker as he showed the small devices that had been hidden by his sleeves.

"You made those? Not half bad." Said, Tony as he admired the workmanship of the one Peter Parker handed him. The child just stared at him with his mouth open, probably unable to process the fact that his idol gave him any sort of compliment. 

"As much as I enjoy watching your appreciation of technology, Stark. I would much rather have this interesting conversation in person." Said Loki as a perfect excuse to bring the mortal back to his side.

"Ah, right. Well let me scan the other two, and we'll be up in a minute." Said, Tony as he turned back to his computers.

"Alright, I'll be awaiting your arrival, my dear mortal." Said Loki, trying to sound playful. And he was rewarded with the most delicious laugh. Tony spun on his chair and responded.

"Until such a time, I bid you _adieu_." Finished Tony with a short bow and the image disappeared. Oh, Tony... wait.. when had he start to call him Tony instead of Stark inside his thoughts?

"Spider-Man, huh... didn't expect that." The berserker controller comment, interrupting the disturbing thoughts Loki was having, railing him back to reality.

"What do you mean by that, Dr. Banner." Asked the god, not wanting silence to take over the room with the captain still in it.

"I've told you to call me Bruce. Dr. Banner sound.. too formal now. And well, I didn't expect a kid to be Spider-Man, the rookie hero who's been helping out a lot lately." Said the scientist with a shrug.

"In Asgard, it is custom to call people by what you would consider our last name or titles. Only shield brothers, family and... lovers... call each other by their birth name. It is a show of greats disrespects to call someone not in those categories by their birth name... Now, Dr. Banner, you and Stark mentioned videos. J.A.R.V.I.S. could you show me such videos?" Loki pointed his question towards one of the many cameras as he had seen most do.

 _"Would you prefer to see them on your Stark Pad, Mr. Skywalker, or would you like me to make a holographic projection?"_ Asked the artificial intelligence. Loki had noticed from the start that the voice liked to use big mortal words, just to confuse the God. It was with no ill intent, but it certainly had developed a sense of humor similar to that of its creator.

"A projection would be preferable. Thank you." Responded the mage. Soon after a screen appeared in the air. It showed what Loki presumed was thieves stealing mortal currency. As they were getting ready to depart, a red figure swung in. The God could not understand why he was completely covered in red and blue clothing, but he could still recognize that it was Peter Parker. The boy then began to disarm and immobilize the thieves with his webs.

"He's a bit clumsy and could use much more training, but he does show promise." Commented the captain.

"He's strong and skilled, but he's still just a kid... he shouldn't be risking his life like that..." said Dr. Banner disapprovingly, with a hint of sadness.

"Back in my day, you were ready for war if you were over 16 and fit..." said the captain as he left the doorway and walked into the room. Loki could feel his entire body grow even colder than usual. _Stay calm. Don't give him the joy of knowing how badly he affects you. Keep calm. Breath like Tony told you to. Tony is on his way. Breath and talk. Talk damn it!_

"Yes but... Now The Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. exist. We should be protecting the world so that kids like him don't have to fight." Said Dr. Banner, still defending his opinion.

"I understand your reasoning, Dr. Banner. But you also have to consider that he could have used his new found powers for trivial things or he could have used them to benefit himself, yet he decided to help others. He is very young, yes, but this is a choice he made for himself, we should respect that." Loki nearly ranted. He was able to control his words and keep up the perfect mask, but it was exhausting. Just that had left him almost breathless.

"Well said. Didn't expect to hear something like that coming from you." Said the captain as he stood at the foot of the bed. The God could not take the pressure.

"Why?" He snapped. He quickly recovered, and the perfect mask was back in place, but he knew the small crack in his defenses had not been missed. The feelings had been evident. How hurt and offended he felt. Luckily for him, the two Avengers did not comment about it.

"You made it pretty obvious last time you were here that you thought of us as ants, so I didn't think you'd find respect in a human kid." Said the captain crossing his arms.

"I... admit I used to think that humans were inferior, but I also exaggerated those beliefs while I pretended to invade your realm, purely for the sake of the show I was playing for him... Nevertheless, I do see now more value in your fleeting lives. You create such wonderful things knowing that you will probably not experience them yourself, but you still invent such beautiful creations so that you can leave them for your offspring. You give meaning to your short existence. That is memorable." He felt drained. He was exhausted, and he just wanted Tony to return so he could sleep more peacefully.

"That's... Well, I guess that's a way to see it.... anyway, I need you to do something for me before Tony arrives..." said the captain, changing the obviously awkward topic.

"Steve, I don't think that wise..." protested Dr. Banner.

"Wh-what is it?" Asked Loki, knowing he was close to having another panic attack. He was using every tactic the doctors had thought him, but it would soon not be enough.

"You get one shot at this. I want you to _honestly_ convince me why I shouldn't tell S.H.I.E.L.D. and the other Avengers that you're here."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaand we'll finally get to see where Steve stands in the next chap! Will he help? Or will he pull a Pepper move on them? And what has happened to Pepper? Hmmm..


	17. Clicked

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm thinking of drawing a cover for this fic, any ideas out there? Who better to ask than those who've been reading all along? :3

'Never meet your heroes' had never been so true before in his life. It sure surprised Peter to have been attacked by Mr. Stark and he tried really hard to hide his slight disappointment, in fear that Mr. Stark would kick him out, but he really felt uncomfortable having been treated like a test subject.

"Well, that's it for the lady. Let's wait for the results upstairs." Said Mr. Stark as he nonchalantly gathered his things. Peter knew that Mr. Stark was just a human and not a fantasy hero but it still hurt to it find out like that.

"Why did our test take shorter than Peter's?" Asked Harry as he put on his shoes, showing once again that he wasn't as clueless as many thought him to be.

"I wasn't 88% sure where to start looking to get what we needed so it took me a while to figure out what test I had to run." Said Mr. Stark as he did something in his Stark Pad. How could he lie so easily?

"Mr. Stark, what is your relationship with Loki?" Asked Gwen as she tied her laces. Why did she keep insisting on that, tho'? Could there really be something more than just some sort of partnership until the magic god got better?

"What? Relationship? There's no relationship between us." Said Mr. Stark fidgeting in his chair. Oh. There was something going on! Go, Gwen!

"I saw how you looked at him. The worry in your eyes, plus that kiss you gave him. That was  _not_  nothing." She simply stated as she leaned on the wall.

"That woman's intuition sure is a scary thing, right Pete?" Said, Harry. He was done with his shoes as well and stood next to Peter.

"But Gwen's is much sharper than normal. They should just call it Gwentuition." Said, Peter, as he looked at the clever girl who'd he trusted with his secret.

"Look, there's nothing going on, and even if there was, which there isn't, it's between us, so none of your business. Plus I have things that are much more important to think about right now." responded Mr. Stark after a few moments of thinking.

 _"Sir, I suggest you hurry back to Mr. Skywalker's room. He is exhibiting signs of an oncoming panic attack._ " Said the famous AI. It still marveled Peter to hear it's surprising British voice.

"Is it cause of Capsicle?" Asked Mr. Stark as he got off his chair too quickly, nearly tipping it over.

 _"It does seem that would be the case. The captain has asked Mr. Skywalker to convince him why he should not go to S.H.I.E.L.D. and the other Avengers."_ Said the AI sounding concerned. How do you even program concern?

"Damn it, Steve." Said Mr. Stark before slamming the door open and storming off to the elevator with the three of them on his tail.

* * *

 

"Well?" Asked the captain getting closer to the god.

"Pl-please do not... do not get closer..." said Loki as his knuckles turned white from gripping the sheets too tightly.

"Steve, please, you'll trigger a panic attack. Wait until Tony comes back." Said Dr. Banner, standing between them and blocking the god from the view of the captain.

"Tony will only interrupt and influence his answers. And I'm sorry, if it makes it easier, I'll sit in the furthest chair over there and I swear on everything I represent, Loki, that I will not hurt you. You have my word. I will hear what you have to say and act accordingly. There is no need for violence. Is that alright?" Said the captain with his hands raised as he walked back and sat on the chair as he said he would.

"Ye... yes..." said the mage finally being able to breathe again. He caught with the tail of his eye as the Berserkers Controller sat on the chair near the bed, ready to step in if the horrors consumed the mind of Loki.

"Then please go on, convince me. No lies, no pretty cover up words. Just honest and clear as day." Said the captain with a calmness Loki did not expect. It would seem the Avenger had some experience with dealing with people in similar circumstances to that of the god.

"I... I would like for you to comprehend something first, Captain..." slowly said the god, measuring his words and breaths.

"Yeah? What's that?" Asked the soldier with kindness. It only made Loki's blood run colder. It was too much of a difference in attitude for his liking.

"...My entire life and existence has majorly consisted on the bending of words to my will... and this is not because I enjoy lying or twisting truths, it is because I was raised in an environment where, in order to survive, I had to be able to convince the people around me, _without_ the need of physical displays, which is the main way of conceiving anything in Asgard... What I lacked in physical aspects, I compensated with wit and magic... so when you ask me to convince you without the use of 'pretty words' and you ask me to be 'as clear as day', I fully understand what you mean, but you will have to excuse me, for it is rather... difficult and foreign for me to speak as raw as you expect me to... that being said, there is not much I can give to convince you to not tell your fellow brothers in arms of my being here... All I can truly say is that I have no intention of attacking your realm once more. I never truly wished Midgard any harm and I understand that does not excuse all the damage I inflicted... but I can not right my wrongs and 'redeem' myself confined behind the bars of a cell where your precious S.H.I.E.L.D. surely plans to place me if they find out my whereabouts... if I am imprisoned again.. I can not... I can not prove... prove my regret... my... my..." he did not know how to express all he felt. It was difficult to breathe, let alone think and talk at the same time. It was too much and he had still not said enough, he knew. It would never be enough to forgive him for the unforgivable, speaking only the truth.

"He can't prove how awesome and useful he is chained up in prison, so give the guy a break and let him breathe." Said Stark leaning on the frame of the door, startling the god.

"What is it with you two and leaning on doors and talking without announcing you're here? That's really unhealthy for a PTSD patient." Said Dr. Banner sounding exasperated as he got up from the chair and offered it to Tony.

"To... Stark?" Loki nearly slipped and called Stark by his first name. He really had to stop using his name in thought. It distraught him how hard it was.

"Sorry, doc. And hey Rudolf, missed me?" Said Stark as he sat on the chair closest to the bed.

"Only in your fantasies." Replied Loki, feeling far too relieved to have the man sitting next to him. It was ridiculous how much comfort such a broken mortal could induce in him.

"Quite the fantasies those are." Answered back Stark, adding a wink at the end. It marveled Loki how he could turn anything into a jest or 'innuendo', as he had learned only a week ago was what mortals called sexualizing things. Dr. Banner had been truly surprised that Loki found the innuendos amusing instead of disturbing, considering his violations. Loki had tried to express in a moment of weakness that he had not been deeply affected by the sexual and physical attacks themselves. What had been truly recked him was the emotional assaults they had tangled in with their physical abuse. The perfectly executed degrading of his mental defenses, enhanced by the wounds and drugs thrust upon his body.

"Tony..." warned the captain, obviously uncomfortable with the approach Tony usually took.

"Calm down, Conservative Captain Spangles. You heard everything that happened back in the Land of the Jerk-faced Fairies. It was all a show for the real enemy. He's not planning to attack again so relax and help us out." Said Tony adding seriousness at the end of his sentence after the typical name calling.

"Help?" Asked the captain.

"Yeah, help us keep him a secret until we can piece everything together and we can clear his name." Said, Tony, as if it was the most obvious thing in the realm.

"Clear my name?" Asked Loki, unsure of what his plan was. He could not really mean declare his innocence. There was no way they would try to help him to that extent. He could understand grand acts of kindness performed towards the goal of appeasing him and later gaining something from him. But this was on a whole completely different scale. This meant actually helping him. What could they gain from that? He would owe them, but not enough for him to be tied to them, not enough to keep him from leaving and wrecking more havoc.

"Yeah, you were under the influence of an all-mighty jackass. It was never your intention to attack us so you shouldn't be condemned for it." Said Stark locking eyes with the god. There was a sort of determination he had never seen directed towards himself, aside from negatively. There was also sincerity in its rawest form. It sparked something inside Loki. Something powerful. Something he had tried for so long to kill and to rid his system of. _Hope_.

"That those not clear what I have done, Stark... and I must admit that even if the influence over my mind was strong, I still thought of your people as lower life forms that I had the right to rule over... I no longer feel this way but that does _not_ excuse the fact that the feelings were there. Enhanced as they might have been, they have always been there." He did not even care how many died in the process of freeing himself from the titan. He still does not think of them as equals. The Avengers were close, but no matter how you see it, Aesir, and even the monstrous Jotnars, are still superior. He no longer sees them as ants and he can truly see the value in their short lives, but it does not excuse anything.

"Well, I feel like shooting a few political faces from time to time. But I don't, even if I could, so if someone actually forced me to kill them, no one would blame me. If we blamed people for thoughts alone, there would be more asylums than schools. You know how many times students plan out their teacher's death in their heads?" Explained Tony. What he said made sense but it still did not ease the god. Most would not see it the same way.

"People are not so easy to forgive, Tony. They'll need proof and lots of it." Said the captain. Loki could not understand what was happening. Was the captain actually considering the plan Tony was presenting? Why would he even waste thought on it?

"Well, we just need to get the proof, write a tearful story and sell it to the press. If we win the public. We win against S.H.I.E.L.D." Said Stark reclining back in his chair. They actually meant it. They actually planned to clear his name. But what _for_? What could they gain? Would they force him to join the Avengers and make him save humans? Would they force him to use magic for their benefits? What did they want? What could he give them to get accepted? Did he want to be accepted? Hope was dangerous. This was all too dangerous.

"What about Clint?" Asked Dr. Banner as he cradled a glass of water in his hands, one Loki had not noticed him take. The name brought great discomfort to the stomach of Loki. He had nearly forgotten what he had done to the mind of the poor hawk.

"Oh! That's a good start. J.A.R.V.I.S. start looking through all footage recorded where Loki's eyes are visible and save it to a private file. Clint's eyes turned blue when he got sceptered. If we can get footage were Loki's eyes are blue, that's pretty much proof." Instructed Tony. Loki needed to think. He needed to be alone with his thoughts. Nothing made sense and his hopes were rising and dropping at catastrophically rapid speeds.

"Saving data, Sir." Said the voice in the ceiling. Loki was starting to panic again. He concentrated on breathing deeply as he stared and tried to process what was happening.

"Tony you're not thinking about Clint." Said the captain as he stood up and rounded the room to where the other two Avengers where.

"I am, I just said it's a clear link." Said Stark, turning his chair. He had recently changed the chairs in the room to ones that spin and had wheels.

"I meant his feelings, Tony." Added the soldier. The hawk would never accept the god. He had invaded his mind in a way he was intimately familiar with. There was no forgiving his transgressions.

"Oh. Well... the same strategy still stands. He wasn't doing this cause he wanted to... Like, it's literally what happened to us with him. He attacked us and killed many, but he was under Lokes' influence so we forgave him. It would be A-level hypocrisy for him not to forgive Reindeer Games after we forgave him... So, are you in, or not?" Asked Tony standing up and offering his hand. This could not be happening. This was simply impossible. The mage felt lightheaded from all his rapid and incredibly scrambled thoughts.

"Fine... I'll help. But if I see any sign that he's lying to us. I will tell the others immediately." Answer the captain, taking the offered hand and shaking it. _How_? Loki could not believe his eyes. This broken mortal was willing to help and trust him. That alone was unimaginable. But not only that, he managed to convince yet another mortal of his thoughts on the god.

"I could kiss you right now, but don't worry, I won't, cause you'll probably taste too much like a bald eagle. But now that that's done, let's deal with the kids. They're in the waiting room... with Pepper..." Could this be it? Could he be the type of soul Loki has been yearning for millennia? A man who was nearly as broken as himself?

"Tony, don't blame her for bringing me here." Said the soldier with his infuriatingly commanding voice. He had no idea what it felt to be betrayed by everyone he loved. Of course, he did not understand why Tony was so displeased.

"Whatever." The fury and hurt were evident in the voice of Tony. It pained the god to see the emotions displayed so clearly on the face of the mortal. It made Tony seem older and much more vulnerable than he knew him to be. It sadly helped to distract the god of his precious panic.

"Tony... She was just worried about you, that's all." Said the captain as if it was something so simplistic. He could no longer stand idly by, but as he was about to speak, Tony shouted.

"You know what? No. I'll blame her all I like. She broke my trust, Steve. Trust she knows _perfectly_ well is nearly impossible to earn nowadays! I'm sick and tired of people I trust betraying me so don't you _Tony_ me!" Quickly, without even thinking about it, Loki half stood from his bed and grabbed the hand of Tony and held it firmly. Immediately the mortal deflated and looked down at the hand grabbing his. A deeply pained expression passed his features but was soon replaced by an uncertain longing that shook the god to the core. It rattled the god because he had seen the same expression on his own face throughout his whole life. A longing for someone to trust without the constant fear of betrayal.

And then it clicked. Something powerful and unseen clicked inside of Loki. He could not explain where it came from, but he felt a strong need to protect the mortal. Even if it was unwelcome for a monster to try to protect a hero, he would protect and comfort the mortal for as long as he would allow him to. Until the moment when the kindness facade was dropped and he was forced to make his escape, he would stand by the broken mortal who had extended his hand to the far more broken god, even if it was only to stab him with the hidden knife after rising. He would stop the knife and disappear when the time came, but until then, he would help his beautifully brave and bold little mortal to rise higher than he had ever risen before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What will this determination bring? Hm?


	18. Shared Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING ⚠️: this chapter is one of the few which earn this story the tag Rape/Non-con. If you want, you can skip to the scene change, the line break thingy.

Pain was the first thing he felt. The agonizing pain in his chest that threatened to send him back into welcomed darkness. He was close to embracing the cold nothingness of unconsciousness when his face was pushed under the cold water again. They held him down for what felt like forever, and just as he was about to finally slip away, they pulled him out so that the air forced its way back into his lungs.

Just as he was going to plead for them to stop and agree to their demands, he felt himself falling. He opened his eyes just in time to see the bed of sand he was about to hit. As he made contact, the metal dug into the skin of his arm and he let out a strangled cry, but before blacking out, he saw a face. An ugly purple face with a weird wrinkly chin. It had eyes full of death and decay... he knew who it was, even if he had never seen him before. There was simply no one else it could possibly be... it sent a strong chill down his spine and soon after, he passed out.

After waking up and walking for hours in the desert, the heat was too much to bare and he felt his knees give in. He expected to get a mouthful of sand but instead fell in what felt like a solid floor, but turned out to be a roof when he reopened his eyes. How he was stuck there, upside down, no clue. He looked around, cradling his injured arm, unsure of where he was, but he soon saw something that made his blood both run cold and boil at the same time. Down below the low ceiling, a bit to the left, he saw someone being held down by 3 men. One on top, sitting on thinner man's spread thighs, and two others holding his arms stretched to the sides. The large man sitting on top spoke and he recognized the voice as one he had not heard in a long time and one which he knew well, yet it didn't sound like him at all.

"Stop fighting us. Relax and let us all enjoy ourselves. You _know_ you want this, my little ice princess..." said the man wearing Thor's face. Tony felt his vision fog and felt himself suddenly drop from the ceiling. Once he got his bearings back, he was looking out of the pinned man's eyes, up to a disgustingly happy not-Thor face.

"No! You have drugged me and this is all but an illusion! Unhand me this instant!!" Screamed the pinned man who now Tony recognized was Loki. Ignoring what the god(or himself? Both?) had said, not-Thor ripped Loki's clothes to shreds and tossed the remains to the side. Tony was petrified.

"Illusions crafted by your own repulsive mind, Jotun wench. Which means that whatever your eyes are seeing, are your deepest and darkest desires." Said the man on the right, who was bold, small and sweaty with a messy ginger beard. He looked like a fat, boiled potato. Tony desperately wanted to do something, anything! He could only watch through Loki's eyes and feel what he felt and it was driving him mad.

"How dare you call me as such! You will stop disgracing that face and you will let go of me immediately!!" Screamed Loki as he tried to shake them off but he instantly froze as he felt a hand on his chest. It was disgustingly warm and sweaty and from potato head.

"We know what you are. Everyone does. You are a sick, manipulative beast who hides in Aesir skin. You feed off worship. You belittle everyone around you just so you feel better about your revolting existence. So tell us, what are you seeing, monster? Are you seeing Thor perhaps? Are you _that_ sick and putrid?! You will pay for defilement of the image of our true Prince!" Said potato head as he roughly moved his hand down Loki/Tony's chest to their abdomen.

"No! Unhand me this instant, you scum!!" Screamed Loki to no avail. The man on the left, who was the opposite of potato head, he was disgustingly thin, tall and had a goat beard, then slapped him, and roughly grabbed his face.

"You can not fight against us. You are weak and worthless. Everyone despises your detestable existence! You deserved to be defiled as the monstrous _argr_ whore that you are!" Said goat beard. Then potato head's hand continued its trail downwards and grabbed, too firmly, his limp dick, as goat beard's hand painfully pinched one of his nipples. Tony could feel his(or their?) heart stop at the touches.

"No! Stop! Ple-Stop!!" Screamed both Loki and Tony. Tony could not handle this. He could take a beating and he could hold his ground against torture, but this was too much. It was all too much!

"Was that a beg? Did you just beg for forgiveness, filth?" Said the potato head as he started to roughly pull and stoke Loki/Tony, making them scream in pain.

"Do not worry, we will only treat you accordingly, my sweet little mewling quim. Just relax and allow us to show you your true value." Said not-Thor as he dove down and licked and bite Loki's/Tony's neck.

"No! Please no! Ah! Stop! STOP!!" Tony woke up with a scream.

* * *

 

 _"S... Si... Sir! Are you alright, Sir?"_ The sweet voice of J.A.R.V.I.S. finally snapped Tony back to reality.

"Wha..? J.A.R.V.I.S.?" After what felt like forever of spinning, Tony's head finally cleared and he saw he was in the waiting room's couch. He'd fallen asleep waiting for Bruce to finish Loki's last check-up before being moved to a proper room the next day, or today actually, and his neck hurt like hell from the obviously uncomfortable position he had slept in. He was covered in sweat and his clothes stuck to him in a very unpleasant way. He was a total wreck.

 _"Sir, it seems you were having a nightmare. A rough one, might I add."_ Said the most reassuring voice he's ever heard in his life.

"Rough doesn't even begin to describe it, buddy... is Loki awake?" Asked the engineer remembering why he'd woken up so spooked.

 _"... Sir, it seems that Mr. Skywalker is currently also experiencing a nightmare. There are a few nurses attempting to wake him at the moment. Shall I contact Dr. Banner?"_ Asked J.A.R.V.I.S. as he slowly turned on the lights.

"What time is it? Is Bruce awake?" Asked Tony as he stood up and stretched his sore muscles.

 _"No, Sir. And it's 6:48 am"_ answered the AI.

"Don't. I'll deal with it." Said, Tony, as he walked to Loki's room. Once there, he shooed away the nurses that were trying to wake Loki. If he saw them after waking, things would not go well. He was already violently trashing and silently screaming. He told them to leave and he grabbed Loki's hand and held it tightly. As he began to speak, the god began to openly cry between silent shouts.

"Loki. Come on, wake up buddy. Come on. It's not real, it's just a nightmare, so wake up. Follow my voice or whatever, the voice of Tony, your bud and wake up!" After a few more tries and after Loki's screams finally, let themselves be heard, he woke up, jolting upwards. Quickly, Tony grabbed the god and held him tightly in a hug. Even without Demi-god strength, the guy packed quite the punch and Tony had learned to protect himself from them. Loki tried to free himself, still lost in the after effects of those especially bad nightmares and Tony began his mantra.

"Shh, calm down, it's me, it's just me, you're safe here, it's just us here. There's no one else. No one is going to hurt you. You're safe and free." After repeating the same lines a few times, the god began to calm down and relax in Tony's arms. He leaned into the touch, the action surprising Tony.

"To...Tony?..." asked the god, like he was unsure if this was real or another dream. He was still not quite back.

"Hey, sunshine. Never heard you use my name before." Said Tony, putting as much comfort and reassurance as he could possibly muster. Yet for some reason, it seemed to have the opposite effect. Loki instantly tenses up and pushed away from the embrace.

"It.. it was just a slip off, it shall not happen again." Said the mage, making Tony wonder what he had done wrong.

"Why? I've told you that you can call me by my first name." Said the avenger, still wondering what he had said to make him distance himself.

"No, you have not." Replied the god a bit bitterly.

"I did, just now." Tony could feel the wall, the wall he had worked so hard to break in the past two days after Steve had visited and they had agreed to help the god. He felt all that progress go up in smoke.

"It does not matter. It is offensive to use the first name of someone who is not a family member, brother in arms or... lover." Asgardian ethics? Is that really why he withdrew? That just didn't make sense for the god of mischief.

"Aww, you wound me. I thought we shared a thing, Rock of Ages. You're breaking my heart." Tony covered his Arc Reactor in fake hurt.

"You also never use any of my formal names or titles and resort to using monickers I do not understand." Said Loki closed off. Tony had to do something to dissolve the tension. It was just killing him.

"Sorry, that's my default setting. But you can call me Tony. You should know by now that I don't care for formalities, Loki." Said Tony. He waited for a response, but none came.

"Hey, come on..." Tony tried to reach out and touch Loki's shoulder, but it backfired like hell.

"Do not touch me!" The god instantly yelled and swatted the hand away.

"Sorry, sorry... no touchy, got it... what about talking? Can I ask you something?" Might as well get to the point if the walls were gonna prevent small talk.

"What question _baffles_ you small mortal mind now?.." asked the mage without looking at Tony.

"Was your nightmare... by any chance... was it about three guards ehm... pinning you down?" Tony finally asked the question.

"How could... how do you know of this??" Asked the god, finally looking at the engineer with a face full of horror and paleness.

"Cause I think your voodoo magic connected our dreams or something... I dreamed that I was you and... those fucking bastards, I swear if I ever see them, I'll punch them till they can't ever move again, and then I'll burn them alive..." Tony could still feel their vivid and disgusting touches on his skin. It made him sick and unbelievably angry.

"Did you see one of them... with the face of... of Thor?..." asked reindeer games with the smallest voice he had heard from the alien.

"Yeah, that one I personally wanna kill, slowly and painfully... hey, breath, I swear I will never let them, or anyone else, hurt you again." Tony tried to comfort Lokes without touching him, but the god seemed lost in a faraway land.

"It is not that... our dreams connected, I did not think that was possible with the low amount of Seiðr I posses at the moment..." said thoughtfully Lokes.

"Well that means your magic is coming back, isn't that good?" Tony was still trying to get the whole magic mombo jombo thing, but it still seemed like something slightly good.

"I would feel if it was coming back, Stark, this was something different... a _connection_..." said the god as he inspected his hands and a small glow of green sparked over them.

"Good or bad difference?" Asked the avenger.

"I... it does not matter. I apologize that you had to see that, Stark. I shall try to keep my terrors inside my own mind." Said the mage as he clenched his fists and extinguished the light.

"You can share the naughty ones though." Joked Tony. Was that too soon? _Shit... you and your stupid mouth..._  Tony was sure he had screwed up again but a few moments later, he heard the small sound of laughter. The slow, rich sound Tony loved to hear the most.

"Your ability to make light of anything still amuses me, Stark." Finally said Loki.

"That's Tony to you. And come on, today you finally get to leave this stupid room, you get to have a proper shower and not wet towel wipe-me downs!" Said the avenger, far too excitedly.

"I must admit I  _have_ been looking forward to being able to wash my hair." Said Rock of Ages as he swung his legs off the bed he had slept in for the past 3 and a half weeks. He was supposed to leave two days ago but the whole complications with Steve and the kids made him stay a bit longer.

"Come on. If we hurry, I can sneak you into my room and you can use my shower. It's large enough to fit six people and has everything you could possibly need. Definitely beats the med bay showers. Oh and I promise not to peak, if you don't want me to, that is." Offered Tony with a wink as he extended his arm so the god could support himself and stand. He was still weak and had to rest more but he was finally permitted to walk. Tony thought he wouldn't take the hand, but after staring at it for a while, he grabbed it and slowly stood up.

"Thank you, Stark. I may still not understand your reasoning for being so kind towards someone like myself, but nonetheless, I am grateful." Said Loki with a genuine smile. Those were rare. Last time he saw it was when he thanked Spidey and his gang for helping him. The three of them had sworn to not divulge any information they had learned and promised to keep in touch. Tony had also asked Peter to meet with him sometime in the next weeks to have a better look at his powers.

"Easy, I like you, no other reason needed." Nonchalantly said Tony. Too little too late he noticed what he'd truly said and he interrupted the god before he could comment.

"But come on, we have to hurry if we wanna get there before Bruce wakes up." Tony notice the god had not let go of his hand so he gave it a gentle squeeze and pulled him forward towards the door. The trip to the bedroom was silent but comfortable. They never let go of their hands until they arrived, and even then, they still held hands as Tony explained how the shower worked and what all the different bottles were for. Tony would take sideways glances at the god's face and could see that it was a comfortable and reassuring action for him.

"I'll go see if I can find us something to eat so take your time. Use as much as you want from all those things. Oh and if you want to change the temperature, just ask J.A.R.V.I.S. to do it. I'll leave some clean clothes on the bed for you to choose from. They're mine, so they'll probably be a bit small for you, but at least it's clean and better than scrubs. But don't worry, I'll get you your own clothes later. Should have done that already... sorry." Stupid and thoughtless as ever. He's never had to take care of someone else so it should be understandable that he messed up from time to time but he was serious messing up in the stupidest of things. Clothes? Food? Really? At least he remembered the shower.

"Do not worry over such a tribal thing. It is of no bother." Said the god with another smile as he made small circles on Tony's hand with his thumb.

"Well, ok then.... have a nice shower, I guess? I'll... just be going now... Oh, and you can lay and rest on the bed for a while before coming to the kitchen, if you want or get tried of standing." He was just rambling now. _Stop before you make it any worse, Tony._

"Thank you, Stark, I am perfectly capable of handling myself." _See? He's not a kid. Shit, he's actually like 50 times older than you. Still smoking tho... Snap out of it and leave already, Tony!_

"Right... carry on then. See ya later." Finally answered Tony as he let go of the mage's hand and ran for the door.

"Stark?..." said Lokes right before the engineer closed the door.

"Yeah?" Asked Tony as he gave the scrubs a final looks. Still couldn't believe someone could actually pull off wearing scrubs and still look good.

"Thank you, again, for all you have done for me. Please informe me later if I may be of assistance in anything." Said the god with a smile that hit Tony right in the groin.

"Oh, pff, don't worry about that, but I'll take the offer into consideration. Now go wash those godly curls of yours. I'll be in the kitchen." Joked the avenger as he gave a last glance to the god's face and closed the door.

An hour and a half later. After an earful of Bruce saying how irresponsible Tony was and Capsicle agreeing with him, Tony noticed just how grave his mistake of not buying the god clothes was. After laying eyes on the little line of visible pale skin and the tightness of undersized sweat pants, Tony knew just _how_ extremely bad it was. How _extremely_ bad it was, for him and the tight jeans he had decided to use the day before, that is.

"Shit..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to clarify, Iron Man 3 happens about six months after the Avengers. This story takes place almost a year after Avengers which means IM3 is cannon, up till the point where Tony takes the Arc Reactor out and blows up his suits. In this story, he still has the Reactor and can't take it out yet. Also, Thor: TDW has not happened yet and everything from IM3 onwards shall change to fit the story.


	19. Breakfast Chaos

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gahhh I'm so sorry for the late update. I've been really busy lately.

Luckily for Tony, Steve had walked into to the kitchen before Tony nearly set it on fire. Bruce had walked in a few minutes later, glaring holes into Tony's skull. But breakfast had been taken care of by cap and his amazing pancake skills so Tony saw it as a win. It was an hour later after he left the god that he noticed just how huge of a mistake for the tight jeans he had decided to use the day before it was to not get the god his own clothes. He sat uncomfortably in his chair, barely hearing the conversation going on. He simply watched the god as he took the plate of pancakes that the cap offered him, the cup Bruce brought him and saw as he thanked them. The god sat across from him in the table and ate, in his clothes, that were too tight...

"Stark?" The god had chosen a black AC/DC Black Ice t-shirt, the grey sweatpants with the Stark long on the side, the black fluffy slippers and the white boxers that said Stark Industry's... he caught a peek of them when the god rubbed his neck right before sitting...

"Were your listening, Stark? Or is your attention span really that small?" He also had Tony's favorite Arc Reactor blue towel draped around his shoulders. He watched those perfect sharp cheekbones move between words. He kept looking up and down his body and finally locked eyes with the god. Those deep emerald orbs that have seen so much. He could see his lips moving but he was lost in those eyes.

"Stark?... Anthony Stark!" Was he saying his name? It sounded nice. Was it also getting hot in here? Well the god certainly was hot, but damn, it was getting suffocating. Wait, that's not his dirty mind is it? Oh shit,  _ow!!_

"What the hell?!" He jumped off the stool he was sitting on and saw that it was steaming. He looked at the three men(well two men and demi-god) and saw the scientist trying to contain his laughter, the soldier shaking his head but smiling and the likely perpetrator, taking another bite of his pancakes and acting like the innocent angel. Tony could see the horns more clearly than ever.

"Mind telling me why you're trying to fry my ass?" Asked the engineer as he rubbed said ass.

"You were being disrespectful and ignoring the conversation." Said Loki, still not looking at Tony and taking a gulp of what he suspected was tea.

"So you decided to make roasted Tony buns in retaliation?" Asked the inventor, a little offended. He was admiring the god's hotness, he should be _flattered_ by Tony's thoughts, not trying to fry his ass.

"Quite so." Said Loki, still not looking up, the little prick!

"I hate you." Said Tony crossing his arms and glaring holes into the cast down jade eyes. Besides him, Bruce, the traitor, was still trying hard to hold in the laughter.

"Quite right to do so. But as likely as that would be, I do not believe you would for something like this." Said Lokes, FINALLY looking up.

"Can I sit down now? Without the fear of someone trying to add barbecue to my overcooked butt cheeks?" Asked the irritated avenger.

"You may, if you pay attention." Said the god as he finished his second pancake and went for the next.

"I thought you didn't have much mojo going on, how the hell did you do that?" Asked Tony as he approached the stool.

"Energy transference is quite basic magic that requires almost no Seiðr. It is but a child prank. I simply transferred the heat of your heating machine over there, to your chair. Is your curiosity sated enough to go back to the matter at hand?" Asked the god after giving a perfectly logical explanation that made no sense at all and making a barely noticeable movement with his hand. Tony touched the stool and was surprised that it had cooled down so fast. Did he transfer the heat somewhere else? He looked around and noticed, seemingly at the same time as Bruce, that his cup of herbal tea was now steaming.

"No, but either way, what's the topic?" How the hell did he transfer the heat without direct contact or proximity? How can he do that with just his mind? It opened a whole new set of questions and it just made the mage infinitely more interesting... scientifically that is.

"We were about to discuss how to clear Loki's name." Said Bruce as he wiped his glasses and the grin from his face. Brucie was grinning a lot whenever he saw Tony and Loki interact... why? He was seeing something...

"Oh. Well the first question is, does Asgard know of Thanos?" Asked Tony as he took back his cup of coffee, noticing that it was also reheated.

"Please.... do not use his name... it... it is highly displeasing..." said Lokes shifting in his chair.

"Sorry, ugly purple chins it is." Apologized and described Tony as he gulped down the last of his coffee and got up to make some more. The hot potato game with his ass had helped to ironically cool his nether regions but he still felt like walking it off a bit and doing anything but look at the god right now.

"How do you know how he looks?" Asked Loki. Ah, Tony had forgotten to mention the necrophile's appearance in his shared nightmare thing earlier.

"You... shared it with me?" Tony could feel that the god wasn't too keen on sharing the fact that they had linked nightmares. He wasn't sure how he knew, but he felt the same way. It seemed like a private thing they should discuss alone, and at a later time.

"I see... and to answer the question. Yes, there are many ancient tales of the Mad Titan in Asgard." Said Loki from his stool. Tony heard a small gasp and turned around in time to see a flying plate pass him by and gently land in the sink. Wingardium Leviosa? Really?

"So we basically just need someone from Asgard, like Thor, to confirm that purple chins exist and that he's evil and is a manipulative piece of shit." Stated Tony as he leaned on the counter, waiting for his coffee. He looked at Loki, giving him a knowing look because they had just recently seen Harry Potter and come on. They had developed a sort of quiet speech, so Tony waited for the responsive eyebrow move upwards but only saw them move together in a frown.

"What's wrong? Got something to add?" Asked Tony crossing his arms and desperately wanting to spike his coffee.

"I can not return to or receive any help from Asgard, until I have, as the All-father stated, 'learned as Thor has'..." responded Loki sourly as he leviosad Steve's and Bruce's plates once they were done eating.

"Okay... so scratch that, first step is to get your big witchcraft spells back, prove your worthiness or whatever, and then we get Thor to confirm the necrophile purple chins... why don't you look convinced?" Asked Tony as he looked at Loki's shouldrrs drop even more.

"I... I have wronged Thor too many times... I find it unlikely that he would be willing to help..." finally said Loki after staring down for a while.

"You seriously think Thor wouldn't help you? Loki, your brother loves you. He would do anything to get you back. I have no doubt in that." Said Steve, surprising Tony. He still couldn't quite believe that he was on board with the saving Loki boat.

"He is not so forgiving, nor have I given him reason to forgive me... He is not.... I am not his brother, Captain... I was... adopted with the sole intention of being used as a tool when I grew up... I lost my worth and am no longer considered part of that family..." answered Loki trying to maintain the calm mask he always wore. Yet those beautiful expressive emeralds never lied. There was sadness, hatred and longing. So much of each. And it dawned on Tony how many times he had seen the same face in the mirror and only gave him an irrational desire to hold the god's hand again.

"Just because you're not related by blood, it doesn't mean you can't be brothers. I had a best friend called Bucky... and he was far closer than any relative could ever possibly been." Said Steve as he leaned on the table to have a better look at the god past Bruce.

"Like the saying says 'Blood of the convent is ticker than water from the womb.' Which means that bonds formed intentionally and meaningfully are much stronger than family bonds, since you really didn't have an option or a say in which family you were born and raised in." Explained Bruce, looking back and forth from Lokes and Cap. As they were looking at each other, Tony quickly took the opportunity to take out a small bottle of scotch he had hidden.

"You mean something similar to blood brothers or brothers in arms?" Asked Loki, looking a bit more lively. Tony took the fresh brew of coffee, served himself, spiked it while no one was looking and hid the bottle again. Once he was done, he turned around and headed for the table but remained standing.

"Yeah. So don't worry to much about Thor, sweetcheeks. If he doesn't listen to you, I'll get my suit on and make him listen." Said Tony as he took a sip of his coffee and winked at the god.

"Let's not get ahead of us, Tony." Warned the Cap, ruining Tony's flirt.

"Fine. First step is still to get his magic jazz hands up and running. Now... how do we do that?" Asked Tony, honestly having no idea how to do so.

"Odin said something about learning like Thor, but what does that actually mean?" Asked Steve.

" 'Learn, as Thor once did, my child... Bring back the boy I once knew and loved'... were his exact words... I remember them clearly as it was the first time I saw my... the Allfather, so emotionally invested in something related to me..." said the god a bit lost in thought.

"Did he mean Thor's first visit to Earth? He was also sent here as a mortal, but he was completely human while you still have a bit of magic. Why's that?" Asked Bruce.

"I would simply not survive past a few weeks if I had been completely stopped of my magic and made into a mortal." Said the god like it was the most logical thing in the world. Damn magic and Asgard.

"Oh? Is it cause your not actually brothers or the same species?" Asked Tony, accidentally hitting a small nerve. Tony could see the muscles tense under his t-shirt.

"In a way... I extensively developed my Seiðr while Thor barely did his. Magic is also part of my... Jotun core... If you were to take it away, it would be like taking away most of my senses, or damping them... It is quite difficult to explain when you have not been thought of magic before, but try to imagine suddenly being stripped of most of your senses, making you unable to perceive the world around you the same way. Imagine being able to hear a full vocabulary, full sentences and suddenly only hearing a few in-consecutive words. Imagine being able to see such a large variety of colors, and suddenly only seeing grey and black. Or being able to taste such exquisite flavors and suddenly only tasting coal... knowing such a large variety of textures and suddenly only feeling rough ones or only smelling one foul smell..." explained the god.

"I would go mad..." said Tony. He truly would. He's whole life depend greatly on his senses. He wouldn't be able to be a engineer or a hero without his senses. Well, he could compensate here and there, but if all of them were damped, he would simply loose his mind.

"Exactly, now also understand that magic provides their user a even larger variety for all this senses. Mortals have the concept of there only being 5 senses. We mages posses many more that those base 5 and we are also highly more receptive. We see and feel the universe differently. More sharply. A mortal would most likely loose their mind if they saw the world as we do. Loosing the ability to see the universe as we normally do and to be downgraded ever lower so than a mortal, would simply kill us, not physically, but mentally. We would completely loose ourselves. For this reason, the Allfather made sure I was left with a small amount of magic. Now I see the world as if through filters and it truly is quite bothersome and disorienting." Finished explaining Lokes. Tony was, for once, a tiny but grateful for the Allfather. He didn't want to see what would have happened if he hadn't made sure that Reindeer Games kept some magic.

"So technically you're seeing the world at a mortal's receptive level, even if you're still above a mortal's level? Is that it?" Asked Bruce, obviously fascinated by the explanations. Tony normally would have been fascinated as well but he was too busy being concerned and relieved...

"Rudimentary, yes." Said the god as he took the pot of tea and offered some to Bruce.

"So basically same as Thor. Okay, that clears things, but just barely and leave us in square one again. What else? He was sent here by Odin as well, cause he was arrogant or something, right?" Asked Tony as he also offered Steve another un-spiked cup.

"Yes... He was unfit for the throne because of his arrogance and thirst for violence..." the mage then explained in detail all that happened that day. He explained how he had decided to stage a scene to show Thor's true nature. How he showed some giants passage to the vaults. How Thor demanded action be taken and war would be brought upon The giant's planet but the all-father would not have it. How the coronation was postponed and Thor's fury over it. How Lokes had lightly fueled the already existing hatred Thor felt and that made him go attack the giants himself with his friends. How he quickly told a guard of their plans so that the all-father would save them from the obvious blood bath. How they nearly died and the god discovered the fact that he was actually a giant himself. That when they got back, the all-father was furious with Thor and pointed out all the faults Lokes had previously mention. How Lokes only intended for the all-father to see Thor's true nature and no more, but the argument had gotten out of hand and the all-father took it further than anticipated and banished Thor to Midgard as a mortal and how he was not to return until he was worthy of lifting Mijolnir again.

"And what made him worthy?" Asked Steve.

"That is a debate I have waged in my mind for far too long. I thought it was humility, but evidently it is not enough." Said the god, cradling his cup of tea. His already pale face was whiter than a piece of paper. Tony could see how the memories drained him.

"But what happened right before he was worthy again?" Asked Bruce.

"While he was banished, I faced the all-father about my heritage and he fell prey to a convenient coma-like state known as the Odinsleep as we spoke. In his place, mother made me king. Friends of Thor saw it all as me trying to forcefully take the throne, while in reality I did not even wish for it... All I ever wanted was Thor and I to be equals. Yet their minds were filled with conspiracy theories on my part which led them to try to retrieve Thor from Midgard. I tried to stop them, as it would ruin my plan to show the all-father that I was just as fit as Thor to rule. Not to mention that it strictly went against the last command of the All-Father. And... I.. My mind was clouded by hate and jealousy... the resentment I had felt for thousands of years got mixed with the self-hatred born from learning my true form and the knowledge that my entire life was made up of lies and all that, all that fury, resentment, hurt and desperation lead to... to me attempting to murder Thor..." finally admitted the god. He had dropped his gaze to his hands in the table again and seemed unable to look up.

"So that's when the New Mexico thing happened." Said Tony.

"Yes, even in his mortal state, he faced me. In a reckless and rather pointless self sacrificing act, he took a fatal blow from the Destroyer I had sent, and that is when it happened. Before dying, Mijolnir few to him and he became Aesir again." Added the mage.

"There we are, right there is the missing piece." Pointed out Bruce.

"What?" Asked Tony, not sure what his science bro meant.

"You said 'reckless and rather pointless self sacrificing act'. That's what you're missing, learning the importance of self-sacrifice and probably demonstrating it. The fact that you don't quite understand why he did what he did, perfectly shows you're missing that vital part. It was reckless, yes, but not pointless." Explained Bruce. Oh, it kinda made sense, thought Tony.

"How was it not pointless? There was no way of him stopping the Destroyer in his state. He was wasting his life, with no hope of gaining anything from it." Asked Loki looking at the scientist, genuinely confused.

"That's the point. You don't always have to gain from doing something. He wanted to protect his friends, no matter the cost. He was willing to give it all up if it meant someone else got to live." Added Steve to the explanation.

"I... I believe I understand what you are saying, but I am finding it hard to comprehend the reasoning behind it..." said the god. It was kind of cute how his eyebrows were drawn together trying to understand humanity while being a alien god. The face of genuine confusion suited him sometimes. He loved when he explained something completely human to the god and he simply didn't get why 'the ridiculous silly humans' would do something like that. He was still looking at those eyebrows when suddenly a red dot appeared on them.

"Get down!!" Yelled Tony, swinging over the table and taking all three of them with him. Milliseconds later, he saw an arrow fly over them and land on his couch, exploding.

"Someone planning on telling me what the hell is going on?!" Said the archer with his bow drawn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Tun TUN TUUUUUUUUN!* (Idk how to make soundeffects) shit's going down! O.O


	20. Overthinking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sooo sorry for the late update... I've not been feeling well lately... I can't find much motivation to do things but I'll try to post more often so please be patient with me. I rather take some more time to post so that the chapters come out ok that to post them quickly with poor quality.

He could confidently say that water had never felt as good in his thousands years of life, as it did at the moment. He spent a few minutes simply feeling it fall on his face and body, simply enjoying how it rolled down his scarred skin and washed away more than a full year’s worth of filth.

The mortal healers had helped clean and treat his wounds, but this was the first time he truly and fully cleansed himself after letting go of Gungnir in the Bifrost… in what seemed like eons ago. While under the tortures of Thanos, during the attack on Midgard, during his imprisonment… his entire life had been destroyed and turned upside down and for the first time in centuries, he felt his muscles relax.

There was no reason to relax. His life was still terribly wrong and in danger, but being there, in the shower owned by that bizarre mortal named Tony, felt right… Loki could not explain it but simply being in that tower, in that bath, with that water running down every inch of his body, felt perfect, and safe.

He took one of the many bottles lined up on the wall and poured some of its contents on his hand. He simply watched as the water cleared it away transfixed. How he wished the water could clean out all of the filth in his heart and mind. As if trying to achieve that, he dove his head under the shower spray and stayed there until he needed to breath again. He lifted his head and poured some more liquid on his hand, but this time, he applied it to his hair and started to wash it.

He took a deep breath and was surprised by the odor of the liquid. It smelled like the mortal. This belonged to him. Just now did he truly understand what that meant. The mortal was allowing him the use of his personal items. He had enough money to buy the god his own utensils and could have made him wait until they arrived to allow him to bathe. Or made him bathe without them. Yet, instead, he offered his own artifacts, and not only that, he offered his own rooms. What reasoning was there for that? What would the mortal gain out of offering such?

Normally Loki could read people with ease. He could see their intentions and could find their weakness effortlessly. This particular mortal was too spontaneous and unpredictable for the god to read with the same skilled ease. Sometimes he would act purely on impulse, and others he would put such deep thought into things that most would not waste 'their precious time' with. Those particular moment were the hardest to read. Those around the poor creature never seemed to quite noticed the difference or that there was even a possibility of anything else but reckless and thoughtless behavior. It annoyed the mage to see them dismiss the mortal so easily.

Loki spent a few minutes untangling the bigger knots in his hair with his finger, then used the comb Tony had shown him and dipped his head under the shower again to remove the cleaning potion. He kept his head there for a while until his eyes began to sting from the liquid. He turned around so that the spray would fall on his back and began to properly remove the liquid and clean his body.

As the god passed his hands over his body, he could feel all the scars and burns, all the reminders of his weakness during his tortures. He traced each and reminded vividly each. One in particular made his blood run colder than usual. It was one of the many he got that day he had a night terror about… it was the first time they had… the first time they had breached his… the first time they brutally violated him…

From what he remember from the night terror, Tony did not see much of it. They had stripped him of so much that day… weeks later after that, he noticed that they had drugged him more than he had thought and made his mind susceptible to suggestion… it had not worked 'pleasure' wise as they had hoped but it had worked all too well on his mental state… all the things they said, he believed them to be true. He believed he was a wretched argr Jotnar whore and all the other things they had said. He did not notice that those were not his own thoughts for far too long. Long enough for him to start believing he was all that they called him on his own.

 _“Mr. Sk-… Mr. Skywalker!”_ Loki was startled out of his terrible memories by the voice in the ceiling and the shattering noise around him. He looked in horror at his blue hands and at the drops of water that froze as they touched his skin and slid from them, only to shatter as they hit the floor. He tried to concentrate and the blue receded from his hands. He had discovered early in his imprisonment that he could still use some of his Jotnar powers… he also learned to suppress the transformation since the guard named Fritjof, who loved to drug Loki and make him think he was Thor… very much enjoyed seeing him in his Jotnar form… loved his… the wretched Jotnar features…

 _“Mr. Skywalker, should I call Mr. Stark? You are displaying signs of the start of a panic attack.”_ Asked the voice in the ceiling.

“No!.. no.. I am… I am alright now… please do not tell him of this.” Said Loki.

 _“... as you wish, Sir. Should I rise the water’s temperature? Would you like to hear some relaxation music? I have a selection of music specially chosen to help Mr. Stark relax while bathing. I could play it for you and arrange a new one designed for your liking based on the ones you enjoy from this one.”_ Offered the voice to the mage.

“I can rise it myself, and… I’ll accept the music offer.” his terrors were replaced with curiosity for what the mortal used for relaxation. Tony always acted so careless, it really interested Loki to know what exactly caused the mortal the pain he constantly felt.

He came out some time later and grabbed one of the towels he found in the rack right beside the door of the shower. They were the same blue as the sphere in the chest of the avenger, not coincidently, he expected. He dried his body, wrapped the towel around his torso and walked towards the clothes on the bed. There was a few typical midgardian shirts, pants and underclothes and a pair of shoes made of some type of fur on the floor. He looked through the shirts and found a white one that was big enough for him. As he touched and smelled it, he could tell it had almost never been worn. He took another shirt, which would obviously be small, but he could tell it had been worn a lot and could even smell the scent of the engineer on it.

He chose that one. While it was smaller, for some reason it made him feel better to wear something that had obviously brought comfort for another before. It was black and had a sort of design he could not recognize. He could only read the letters AC and DC and the words Black Ice under them. It was strange, but looked like a typical shirts Tony would wear. One of his many references probably. He put on the shirt, the underclothes, the pants and placed his feet on the furry, comfortable shoes. He looked at the clock on the table beside the bed and could tell that he had taken around 40 minutes in all his ordeal and remembered the words of the midgardian. He sat on the bed for a few seconds, considering if he should, or not, lay down and decided to risk it. He layed down and was surprised by the pleasant scent of the mortal all around him. He was starting to develop an addiction to that smell… never a good sign, but he could not care less in that moment. He spent around 20 minutes simply enjoying the softness of the bed and the rich scent he could only describe as a mixture of cologne, alcohol, grease and sex.

* * *

 “Someone planning on telling me what the hell is going on?!” Screamed and demanded the hawk from across the room. Loki could not believe his eyes or his stupidity. Here he was, surrounded by most of the Avengers. How could he think even for one second that any of this was to work? When did he start to believe that Tony and Dr. Banner could actually help him? There was no helping Loki. No matter what the mortals did, he would not be forgiven for all the sins he had committed. He should not be forgiven. All those he had wronged would never forgive him, specially the hawk. He would rather die than forgive the god. He would be the first to inform the Shield of his appearance on Midgard. Loki would be chased and hunted. They would catch him and send him back, back to the dungeons, back to the dungeons, the dungeons and the guards, the guards, the guards, the dungeon, not the dungeons, no not them, not them, not them….

“J.A.R.V.I.S. Lock down the building, disable and block all communications and dart them! NOW! Steve help contain them! And Bruce, with me on Loki!” Loki could hear Tony screaming orders and arrows flying over them but there was no point to any of this. Loki's vision was blacking out and his breath was ragged. They would trap him, they would torture him and experiment on him and then they would send him back to the dungeons and the guards would come back…. they would find a way back to him… they would, he knew it was just a matter of time before he was sent back like they always told him he would be if he ever got out. He would be sent back and they would torture him again. More, they would torture him more and more and they would never stop. There was no stopping it… there was no way, no way, no way, no way, no way!

“LOKI, BREATH!” Loki could not distinguish who the voice came from, but did they not understand there was no point!? He would rather the darkness took him than to go back to that cell! That ratchet, dark, disgusting cell. He felt a hand on his shoulder and he retaliated. He punched and clawed and tried to teleport away to no avail.

“He’s not going to calm down! We need to tranquilize him, now!” said a voice. Why would they not shut up! He wanted the darkness, he craved the darkness. He needed to be gone! Now!

“We can't! He’s developing an addiction and dependance. We have to calm him without it and he has to learn how to get through his attacks.” Said another voice. He despised that voice. He needed the darkness. He needed to be unable to think. He could not go back to the dungeons. He could not go back to them!

“Stark.. Please… Please, Tony!” He could not tell if the mortal was actually there but he needed him desperately. He needed to be gone.

“I'm here, Reindeer Game, shh, I'm here…” said who he suspected was Tony. He felt a gentle hand on his head that made his vision return slowly, but he did not want to see, he wanted to consumed by nothingness.

“Please… I need.. I need it…” begged the god.

“J.A.R.V.I.S.! Dart him!” Loki felt the prick of the needle pierce his skin and the sweet nothingness begin to take over. The last thing he remembered was hearing Tony say how everything would be alright. How he longed to believe those lies.

* * *

 “What’re you planning to do now, huh, Tony? We can't just keep them locked up here!” Complained Steve. Bruce could understand both points of view. He could understand Steve’s concerns but he could also understand why Tony was doing this. They were all back in the medical bay, next to Loki. They had placed him back in his bed after having sedated him. It worried Bruce that Loki was developing a dependence on the sedative, but they did have a bit of a more pressing matter at hand at the moment.

“We shouldn't.” Said Tony, being a smartass. Bruce could not help bitterly smiling a bit knowing where this was going. They always fought with each other and it was always in the same fashion. Steve would make a moral statement, Tony would respond with a smartass answer. Steve would backtrack trying to understand and once Tony explained, he would get even more furious.

“What?” Asked Steve with his threatening tone. It was honestly predictable and avoidable but they were both too stubborn to skip the verbal wars.

“You said we can't, but that’s wrong since we technically can. So, you meant to say, we shouldn't. Which is still debatable.” And there goes Tony’s explanation.

“Tony!” And there goes Steve, turning a darker shade of red anger.

“Fine, fine. Don't get your star-spangled panties in a bunch, Princess Rightness.” Said Tony, turning away from Steve and serving himself some scotch on one of the plastic cups. Oh, after Steve’s angers comment, came Tony's nicknames and Steve would point out a quirk of Tony’s.

“You never think things through. You never stop to consider the consequences of your actions!” Said Steve. That wasn't quite true but Bruce rather stay out of the fight. He would rather be the neutral for now. _Sorry Tony_. Thought Bruce.

“You are… you are wrong…” a weak and groggy voice said from the bed. Loki was trying to sit up in his bed.

“Lokes! Shhh, take it easy, the meds are still wearing off.” Tony placed the cup back on the bedside table and rushed to Loki's side. He sat in the chair next to the bed and held his hand. They both looked at their joined hands and quickly parted with confusion in their faces. It amused Bruce how obvious their attraction to one another was. But Bruce found it even funnier that they themselves didn't quite see it, specially Tony.

“I am alright, Stark. And you are wrong Captain.” Stated the god. It also marveled the scientist how Loki could understand Tony better, in such a short period of time, than people who’ve known him for ages. Bruce prided himself for being one of the few that knew the engineer best and that the engineer trusted, but even he was only scratching the surface.

“Yeah, how so?” Asked the captain, quite annoyed.

“He does think before acting. He is always constantly thinking. About the consequences, about the severity. Always imagining the worst possible scenarios and what to do in them so that when they do happen, he is ready for them. He is constantly being haunted by the ‘what if's. Constantly being haunted and kept awake by night terrors of all the horrible things to possibly come. So you are wrong to say he does not think before acting.” The room went silent at the god’s words. Bruce had always suspected that to be the case but had never been quite sure or dared to ask.

“Lolo…” nearly whispered Tony. Bruce couldn't help but smile. They were meant for each other. Their circumstances were horrible and they would have to face a lot of hardships, but it was simply meant to be for Bruce. He would support and root for them, he just hoped they could resolve things quickly before they were parted. The scientist chuckled at the thought that, as the younger generation would say, he shipped them.

“It still is a valid question to ask ourselves what to do now. It seems to me that the plans, if we could call them that, have accelerated far more quickly than would have been liked.” Said the god after sharing a meaningful stare with Tony.

“Let's just explain to them everything that’s happened, just like at Pete’s house. If we explain it right, they should understand.” Suggested Tony, taking the cup from the bedside table without standing up.

“While the Captain and Spider might have seen reason, I do not see how the Hawk will be convinced. He would rather see me dead. Nothing would delight him more than to lodge an arrow right between my eyes. I do not see how it would be possible to convince him, no matter what tale we weave.” Replied the mage, taking away the cup from Tony’s hand and placing it on the bedside table on the other side. Tony tried to glare holes in Loki’s eyes, it seemed he did that a lot. The god was apparently not a fan of Tony's excessive drinking.

“There’s no harm in trying though.” Said Tony in an annoyed tone.

“I see quite a few instances where that statement is disturbingly wrong, Stark.” Said the mage, daring him to say anything about the drink. After Bruce had explained that alcohol had very negative effects in the human body if consumed in large quantities, the god had made it his job to make Tony stop drinking. Whenever Tony tried to drink in Loki’s room, he would either take his cup away with his hand or telekinesis, well the equivalent to that with his magic, or he would heat it up, making it distasteful. Once he even combusted the alcohol accidentally.

“Either way, we should head there right now.” Said the Captain, his anger having deflated quite a bit after Loki’s words of Tony.

“Lokes just woke up, give him a break. We don't need another panic attack on our hands.” Said sharply the engineer, quickly standing up defiantly. He stopped from walking towards the Captain when a hand grabbed his arm.

“It is alright, Stark. I can handle myself now. I was too surprised with their appearance and had no chance to prepare myself mentally and physically. Now I have.” Said Loki, as he slowly got off the bed, still holding Tony’s arm.

“You tell me immediately when it's too much. And J.A.R.V.I.S. inform me if he starts showing signs of an attack.” Instructed the engineer.

“Now then, time to head to battle.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Constructive criticism is appreciated. Ideas are also welcomed. 
> 
> P.S. I started to post this story in wattpad if anyone is interesantes. Same ID and name.  
> Also, if you're a Loki fan, checkout the app Amino and join the Loki community, it's fun :3 and there' are also a Frostiron one so check that out as well. Well, I bid you Adieu, until next time~


	21. Missed Whispers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have I ever mentioned how much I love you guys? I have but I'll never get tire of saying it! You guys are so wonderful and every comment brightens my day! :3
> 
> As always, constructive criticism is greatly appreciated and kudos as well!

Hell would have been easier. Hell would have been a walk in the park for Tony. This was hell on trenbolone, or the Asgardian equivalent of steroids, wielding Mjolnir…. on more steroids. They had placed Clint and Nat in the testing room where Tony had experimented on Peter and had all the weapons pointed at the spies. From the outside, they had explained in detail all that had happened to the two assassins and it goes without saying that it did not go well. Clint was fuming and Nat had on her perfect unreadable mask of indifference learned from years as an assassin and spy.

“You’re fucking kidding me, right? Don't tell me you actually believe that!” Screamed yet again the archer. He had been cursing, pacing and asking the same things over and over.

“Clint, calm down.” Said the redhead for the first time after being put in that room. She grabbed his forearm to stop him from pacing but he just violently shrugged it off.

“No! He’s the God of Lies, for fuck's sake! That dirtbag doesn't have a sincere bone in his body! You’re all being manipulated and I swear to you, you piece of shit, that I'm getting out of here and I'm putting an arrow through your skull and one up your ass! At least the rape part of that stupid story of yours will be true. I’ll shove it in there and rip that smartass of your to bloody shreds! You hear me?! Huh!? I'm going to kill you, you son of a bit-!” His rant was cut short by a sharp slap. It came from the Russian and Tony could not quite believe his eyes. He never expected that from her. He honestly expected her to fully back up the archer.

“...” Clint was in shock. He stared at her like he couldn't understand what demon had posed her. There was also hurt in those eyes and a sort of betrayal.

“Clint, use your training and look at him… he’s on the verge of a panic attack, one that can't be faked. Look at the dilated pupils, the sweating, the trembling and the way he keeps swallowing and the way that just mentioning these things makes him try to stop doing a few of them unsuccessfully.” She was right. Loki was hanging on the edge with no support, just a small push would drive him over. Quickly, trying to not be too obvious, Tony took the chair next to him and offered it to the god. As Loki silently thanked him and nearly crashed into the chair, Tony cursed himself for not thinking about doing it sooner.

“He has magic and he can shapeshift! Oh please, you can't actually believe that shit tale of rape, mental manipulation, and weaponization!” Accused the archer again, pointing in Loki’s direction, making a face of disgust.

“You know the answer to that better than most. You know the truth of it… and you know just what I did to get out that room…” cryptically said the assassin. Tony had heard bits and pieces but he’s never known the full story of how the Widow became to be. He suspected not even Clint knew it all but he did know more than anyone else.

“... bullshit…. no, this is not the same, Nat. Don't compare that thing to yourself...” said the Hawk, slightly deflating.

“It's exactly the same, Clint... Give us 15 minutes alone, off the record.” Asked the spider to everyone outside.

“...Fine, it won't be recorded but J.A.R.V.I.S. will still be watching and he can act on his own and shoot down your sorry asses, plus we’ll be out here so don't try any funny business.” Answered Tony, disabling the visuals, audio, and tinting the window. As soon as he was done he felt a shaky hand on his arm. He looked back to see Loki basically clinging to his arm with his face obscured by the long hair covering his lowered head.

“Lokes… if it's too much, you don't have to be here for the rest of the conversation. You’ve already shared your part of the story.” The god didn't answer immediately and Tony was worried he had already gone over the edge but after a few seconds he saw the hair sway from side to side and an answer came from somewhere behind the curtain of dark strands.

“N..no… I shall remain here… my absence would only fuel the archer’s mistrust… and there is already enough of that for this task to be impossible…” said the god, sounding defeated, yet rising his head enough for his eyes to come into view again. They seemed resigned and scared.

“Hey, don't give up on me yet. I'm not done here. Plus it kinda looks like Tash is beginning to side with us.” Said the engineer moving his chair to face the mage completely. He grabbed both his arms and rubbed them a bit, trying to convey comfort and confidence he wasn't sure he felt himself.

“Ah… I had not considered that… it is true that the story of the widow and mine are similar in some aspects…” said Loki, shaking less and starting to remember something from long ago.

“Wait, you know that how?” Asked the mortal, confused at the god’s knowledge.

“Back when I was… pretending to conquer your realm… I had Barton tell me all of your stories… and it did not slip my notice that my story was similar to both yours, Stark, and that of Agent Romanov.” Explained the god, grabbing Tony's hands and lowering them to his lap, while still holding them.

“Oh… right...that, Tash had said she had been compromised, didn't exactly ask how, back then.” Finally remembered the engineer. It was bitter memories but each time he remembered, Loki’s actions made more and more sense. Like why he hadn't used such delicate information against them.

“I did not truly intend to use that information to hurt any of you, but I needed to comprehend how you thought so that I could-” Loki’s attempt at explaining his reasons was cut short by Tony.

“Stop, you don't have to keep explaining yourself to me, I know now why you did it so you don't have to explain something that causes you pain like that.” Interrupted the Avenger. He could totally understand why he did it since he would’ve done exactly the same. He needed to understand how they thought so he could push the right buttons and make them as angry as possible, without actually hurting them. Tony’s internal laughter at how similar the mortal and the god were was interrupted by Cap’s sighs.

“What, got a problem there Captain Spangles?” Asked Tony annoyed.

“This is a mess… it just doesn't feel right to have them in there, with weapons pointed at them and have Loki over here, being reassured… I still can't quite wrap my head around the situation. I just hope we’re doing what’s right.” Explained the good ol’ captain. What he said made sense but it simply irked Tony. Why couldn't they just accept it and get it over with? He would not doubt his decision.

“We are, so stop whining already.” Bite back the engineer. Tony felt the hands he was holding get a little colder than usual so he gave them a gentle squeeze.

“Sir. They have indicated that they’be finished their private discussion.” Indicated in turn the AI.

“That was less than 15… Bring them back then.” Instructed the engineer. He let go of Loki’s hands and both turned slightly to face the window that was being untainted but Tony could not help placing his hand on Lolo’s back for more silent reassurance.

“So? How did the little spy meeting go? Any good news or will I’ll have to ask Dummy to bring you some food later?” Sarcastically said Tony with the large shit-eating grin he normally used on annoying paparazzi on his face.

“One week.” Said the Widow. The Hawk had his eyes cast down and had his arms crossed. It made him seem really annoyed but a bit defeated. Could she have really convinced him?

“Imma need you to be a little bit less cryptic Nat.” Said the engineer, curious but defensive.

“Give us one week to observe him, and then we’ll decide what to do. If to tell S.H.I.E.L.D. or help you in this crazy plan of yours. But if we find anything that makes us even the slightest bit suspicious, we’ll immediately contact Fury.” Explained Natasha, slightly surprising everyone. Loki, especially, went rigid at the news. Tony started to make small designs on the god’s back to try to calm him.

“Seems short, but fair enough. I do have to mention that J.A.R.V.I.S. will alert me if you attempt to and I’ll stop you again.” Said Tony, just to clarify and remind them of his all-seeing buddy and determination.

“Fair enough.” Said the red-headed spy with a shrug.

“Then, you’re free to go, I guess?” Said awkwardly Tony as he and Loki stood up and the door opened. Tony made sure to be between the assassins and the god as they stepped out of the experiment room.

“Now what?...” asked Bruce, stepping forward.

“Now we go back to our rooms and you hope we don't find anything suspicious about him.” Said Widow with her unreadable mask.

“...Which I bet ya we will... just saying...” barely added the archer. Tash gave him some sort of look and he backed down again but it still made Tony slightly uneasy.

“Okay… see ya for lunch then?” Neither of them responded, only raised their hands in a sort of wave and left.

“Well, that was… weird… and kinda anticlimactic.” Said Tony after a few moments of awkward silence.

“Am I the only one who thinks it was too easy?” Asked wise ol’ Brucie.

“You are most certainly not the only one, Dr. Banner.” Stated the Reindeer Games, letting out the breath he had been holding in probably since he had woken up again.

“I second that.” Said Steve, rubbing the back of his neck in obvious distress.

“I think we can all agree on that. But it's not like standing here will change anything so just scram and meet back for lunch.” Said Tony, stretching and opening the door for everyone to leave. Bruce left for his room to relax and think, and the captain went to the gym to do some training. Only Tony and Loki were left.

“Right… so with the whole mess, I haven't shown you your new room yet, might as well do that now. It's just a few floors away and I bet you could use the power nap.” Said Tony, testing the waters, with a bit of humor, of Loki’s condition after such a rough talk.

“Yes… that would be wonderfully appreciated… I-ah!” As the mage took a step towards the door, he lost his balance and fell forward. Tony acted as fast as he possibly could and stepped in in time for the mage to fall in his arms. The avenger rapidly asked if he was alright but just as quickly shut up to hear the god’s breathing. It was ragged panting and he could feel his chilly breath on his left arm. It sent a strong chill down the engineer’s spine but he ignored it in favor of helping Lokes. Tony quickly helped him sit down and wiped the sweat streaked hair from his face. The god was red and slightly moaning from the rough breathing. It took only a few minutes for him to regain control.

“I… I am sorry… you had… had to witness that, Stark…” said Lolo still a little bit breathless.

“Ahh, no need to apologize. I'm actually surprised you were able to go through all that and only now react.” Said the engineer honestly surprised. He knew for sure he himself would’ve broken halfway through.

“Are… are you underestimating me?” Asked Lokomotion, with the goddamned best hurt puppy-dog eyes Tony has ever seen. Damn those eyes sure knew how to hit Tony right in the gut.

“You should know by now I would never do that. It's completely normal for someone under PTSD to have a panic attack. Anyone else would have caved in, _I_ would have caved in! But you didn’t, which kinda amazes me.” _Tony… honestly, where is your empathic sense? How can you miss the simplest of things up? You have the greatest mind Earth has probably ever seen but you suck balls when it comes to feelings._

“You tend to forget I do not fall under the normal range of mortals.” And there it went. Tony was noticing that Lokes followed a very similar pattern he himself used. When hurt, he would confirm if it was truly meant as an insult or a remark, if it wasn't, he would mask it with humor.

“Nah, I don't forget. You are too regal and alien and are always verbally reminding me, so how could I possibly forget? But anyway, no matter what species you are, Bruce says psychology almost always works the same so it would’ve been perfectly understandable if you had caved in. But you didn't until now, and technically speaking, that looked more like an anxiety attack, not really a panic attack, so even more impressive…so… yeah... Anyway, let's get out of here.” Suggested the avenger as he stood up, slightly flustered, trying to mask it since he didn't quite understand why he was feeling that. Was he being too touchy-feely? Could he even do touchy-feely? He took a deep breath, turned around and offered his hand to the god.

“Yes…” said Lokomachine a bit hesitantly, surely a bit worried that he would fall again but Tony wouldn't allow that. As soon as he stood, he placed the hand he had grabbed on his shoulder. The mage made no comment about it but gave him a knowing and grateful look. Tony knew by now how hard it was for him to ask for help so he made it his job to help when he noticed it was needed. They walked in silence to the elevator and headed for Tony’s floor. Once there, they headed for the room nearly next to the engineer's.

“Here we are. This is a temporary one tho, I'm designing a proper floor, but till that's done, this will have to do. It's the guest room I normally give to anyone who wants to visit, not that anyone actually does. Pepper was using it mostly, but she left right before I found you. There's still a few of her things here and there but I’ll have the bots move them later.” He opens the room and showed the god inside. It hurt Tony a bit to see the room. Even if the room was a guest room, he had gotten many things, especially for Pepper. Things she liked, like the sofa and table set. It was not his taste at all but she had liked it. The room even smelled like her. It was uncomfortable and Loki seemed to sense it and was looking at the floor. The mortal couldn't tell what he was thinking, he could read what Loki offered easily but he still couldn't tell what actually went through the bag of cats that was the god’s head, yet. Emphasis on yet. After a few milliseconds of awkward silence, Lokes responded.

“The fact that you gave me a room at all is far more than I had expected to receive.. it is highly appreciated.” Finally said the god. It kinda annoyed the engineer every time that Lolo was so appreciative of the things he gave him. It meant that things as simple as this stupid acts of kindness were completely foreign to the god. To go from a stuck up rich prince to this forever thankful and fearful being… it just showed how bad he was treated. Shows how much they tortured him and how low they degraded him. It really pissed the avenger. He tried to contain that anger, but it was eating at him. He needed to get out and let out some steam.

“You don't have to thank me for everything, you know. I love to spoil my friends and I'm rich enough to do it all the time so don't worry and just accept it haha. Anyway, I'll leave you here to rest for a while 'till lunch.” Explained, the mortal, as he almost ran for the door. He was out before the mage could respond, completely missing the soft, barely whispered,  _Thank you… Anthony._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: *cries* stupid Tony, why did you have to run off before hearing Loki!? 
> 
> Tony: how was I supposed to know he was gonna drop that sexy name time bomb?? 
> 
> Loki: I would not have said it had he stayed, sweetheart. 
> 
> Me: you're killing my poor fanheart... rude TT-TT you should be nicer to your writer... anyway so 
> 
> *speaking to the readers* I already started the next chap soo I hope that I'll be able to post it soon! There's finally gonna be some real action soon! What type of action you may ask? Wait and see~!


	22. Flesh wounds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kinda feel obliged to warn that the first part of this chap has a semi NSWF scene. Also that there will be plenty more scenes like that in the future, not so soon though. But yeah, just wanted to warn that. Enjoy~! And please let me know how my first semi-smut scene went! :3

Tony knew he wasn't conscious yet. He was drifting between sleep and awareness when he heard it. It was the sound of the door slowly opening, followed by soft footsteps. He felt the bed dip and a weight slowly set over his legs. It was slightly cold and relaxing to Tony’s still sleep-clouded head. A chilly and shaky breath on the left side of his face made him aware that it was a person and it sent a strong shiver down the engineer’s spine.

He finally woke up to find that Loki was straddling him. His hair was covering most of his face, making Tony instinctively push it aside and was presented with the red, feverish features of the god. His soft pants sounded downright sinful to the avenger's ears and he was truly in shock. He wasn't sure he had ever seen such an astonishing sight before(or had he?). He had no idea what to make of it or what to even do. He _had_ thought and considered how hot Lokes was before and he _had_ even let his mind wander a bit about how it would be to have him, but to actually _have_ him on top of Tony now, the engineer was perplexed. The god, seeming to take initiative, lowered his head all the way down to the engineer’s ear, kissed it and whispered a simple sentence that sent Tony Stark's mind, known as a playboy not just because of his skill in bed but also for his ability to make others mad with want while keeping himself in check, spiraling with uncontrollable lust. A simple ‘Take me… _Anthony_ …’

The warm puffs of Loki’s shaky breath tickled Tony's oversensitive skin, and he finally got the wish he would have denied, had anyone, even himself, asked, of burying his hand in Loki’s hair, grasping it and using it to pull Loki’s head that last step closer. His lips tasted sweet and gave the same chill feeling of mint and as soon as their lips met, Tony's body was ignited with heat. He noticed every single detail, as is a engineer's usual habit. He noticed the fingers curling in his hair, the clean smell of Loki's breath and skin, the small moans that escaped the god when they surfaced for air. Tony's eyes were so overwhelmed trying to take in every aspect of the god, that he had to squeeze them shut, only making every touch that much more delectable.

Tony couldn't stop the tip of his tongue sneaking out, wanting to taste Loki. He licked gently along the seam of the god's lips and Loki immediately granted him entrance, a groan escaping his throat as they met tongue to tongue.

Tony smiled and hummed pleasantly at the granted access, his hand in the god’s hair pulling Loki even closer as he deepened the kiss, his tongue tickling the mage’s briefly before lapping at the underside of the his upper lip as it retreated. Loki sucked Tony's lower lip and bit it gently as the mortal pulled him closer by the waist, sliding him the last few inches onto his lap.

The heat and pressure of what _had_ to be the Loki’s answering arousal had the avenger’s lips parting in a gasp. He reveled in the contact, in the nearness, and bite Loki’s upper lip affectionately when his hand sneaked under the god’s shirt, his fingers grazing the soft skin under the hem. The thought of the alien god using his clothes, driving him mad with desire to take it all off.

The ivory skin of the mage was colder in contrast to the engineer’s slightly tanned one. It was an addictive feeling Tony could not get enough of. He decided to switch their positions, to better worship his god and was rewarded with a gasp and giggles as he flipped them. He left the comfort of the god’s lips in favor of kissing his way down his throat and found a sweet spot right above the collarbone. Loki’s giggles were quickly replaced by a hasty moan that sent a rush of blood to the human's quickly hardening member and he took it as an invite to explore that area further. The god in turn hooked his right leg on Tony’s waist and grinded up on his length, making Tony let out an involuntary groan.

He should have stopped there, the god had just come out of imprisonment, torture, starvation and rape for Christ sake! He was probably nowhere _near_ ready for where this was going, but he couldn't resist kissing him again and again and again. He was simply addicted to that well named silver tongue. He knew he should probably ask, but the god was slowly rendering him unable to think straight, let alone form coherent sentences.

Tony started to rant, unsure of how far the god was willing to go “Shit… you’re hot… well technically you’re cold but I meant you’re hot as hell but mayb-” yet he was cut short by Loki pulling him down by the neck for a rough invasion of his mouth with his feverish tongue. It was a odd, yet ecstatic and a sensual contrast to his cold lips.

“Shut up and fuck me, _Anthony_ ….” demanded the god when he finally let them both breath. He tangled his fingers in the mortal’s hair and added. “Fuck me until I can no longer think straight… until I am completely and utterly undone… until I am only able to scream your name in breathless worships… take me, mark me, claim me as yours...” whispered the god as he ran his hand in the mortal’s hair. He bite the avenger’s ear and roughly grabbed Tony’s ass for leverage so he could grind up on the human’s hardening length even more.

“T..that I can do. They don't call me playboy cause I dress as a bunny. Th..tho’ I could do that as well.” Explained the engineer with the smuggest grin he could manage while still breathing heavily and also grinding down on the god. Tony slid his hand from the god’s chest, to his side and back and trailed his spine until he found the edge of his own sweatpants on the god. He lifted the hem of the pants and boxers and greedily grabbed as much as those round cheeks as he could.

“Fuck me when you wake up.” Said the god, sounding a bit strange. Lacking the previous lust in his voice, even if he kept running his nails in Tony’s hair and movings his hips against Tony’s.

“When I wake up?” Asked the engineer, confused by the sudden change of tone and words. It still didn't stop him from dipping his other hand in and pulling the god closer as he bit the god’s earlobe.

“Wake up,Sir.” Said Loki(?), his voice sounding strangely familiar, but not Loki-familiar.

“But I am awake, right?” Half stated, half asked Tony, not enjoying and fearing the change. He lifted his head to see what was going on and saw the god crying. Crying blood to be more specific. While Tony was quickly trying to ask and understand why he was crying ( _blood_ for fuck’s sake!!),  
he heard the same voice again, but he could see it was not coming from Loki's mouth. He saw the god’s mouth silently say ‘why Tony?...’ and that’s when his vision snapped out Of the dream.

“Time to wake up, Sir.” Said J.A.R.V.I.S. finally waking the mortal up.

* * *

 

 _What?..._ Tony looked around and saw he was still in his room, but alone in his bed. He looked down and saw the telltale bump what normally indicated morning happy fun time but it was quickly calming down on its own due to that last part of the dream? Nightmare? _What the_ **hell** _was that?!_ Asked himself the engineer. He had been thinking about how hot the god was and how hot he would be to bed for quite a while, but he’d never actually _dreamt_ about it like that, in that much detail and passion... And the crying at the end… what the bloody fucking _hell_ did that mean?? The betrayal and hurt in Loki’s bloodied eyes had made Tony’s blood run cold. Was that like a test to see if Tony would actually bed the god? Had he been expecting him not to? Had he failed? Wait was that even a dream? If it was, was it his own? Was it one of Loki’s nightmare?

A million questions swarmed the engineer's rattled mind but J.A.R.V.I.S. the saint, snapped him back to reality.  _“I'm sorry to disturb your sleep, Sir. It’s 6:47am. and you instructed me to wake you as soon as either of the spies woke up. They are both awake and seem to be heading to the training area. Also, Loki seems to be having a nightmare.”_ Said the AI.

Shit… could he even face the god right now?... well he had to be able to, cause he knows first hand how bad PTSD fueled nightmares can be… but what if he was having a nightmare where Tony was raping him?... he would still have to risk it.

“I’ll go check on him then.” At that statement, the AI turned on the lights slowly so his master could adjust to the change. Tony was only sporting boxers so he grabbed a random pair of jeans and a t-shirt he found on the floor that didn't smell too bad and put it on as well as sliding on some shoes and just like that, he ran to the door and to the room next to his own. He slowly opened the door and his AI turned on the lights as he did with Tony’s room. He had expected to find the god violently thrashing and screaming but only found him squirming and whimpering lightly. It wasn't as bad as the previous two nights since the assassins arrived.

Those two hadn't shown up for lunch or dinner that day and they had spent their time in the training room, only coming out of there to sleep and to explore the building at night while the rest slept. Tony was sure that they knew that he could see them but apparently it made them feel better(?) to explore everything while the rest weren't around. Sadly Tony had also been bombarded that night with papers and document Pepper had sent him that needed urgent reading and signing and had left Loki’s care to Bruce and Steve.

Apparently in their time together, Bruce had taken up Tony’s job of introducing them to technology and pop cultured. Tony had been slightly offended when he heard they had watched Snow White and Sleeping Beauty(hey, Disney movies were cool and a must watch, specially the classics) last night without him. Afterwards, the three of them had dragged Tony out of his office for dinner and they were all surprised when they found the assassins already at the table, having ordered their own takeout.

“Oh, dear, what an awkward situation.” the god had whispered, making the engineer nearly choke on the coffee they had brewed for him, having perfectly quoted a freaking Disney Villain. He strangely wondered if he felt identified with Maleficent, both of them having horned helmets and all the green magic voodoo, staffs and shape shifting. Could Loki turn into a dragon? That would be awesome and he would definitely ask later…

Anyway.

Tony was brought back to the present by a pained whimper and he quickly moved to Loki’s side. The god was sweating buckets. The sheets were damp with perspiration and his raven hair was sticking to his face and neck that were as pale as the moon. He was shivering and twitching, rapidly moving his head from side to side. Tony removed the covers from Loki’s body and had to gulp at the sight. The god was wearing one of the white(now almost transparent from the sweat)Stark Industries shirt he had given him two days before with a few extra sets of standard issued employ workout clothes, while his actual clothes arrived, and white boxers that were loose on his thin hips… it was quite the sight to behold. The engineer’s body was unsure how to react to the view. It was a exquisite look on the god but he also remembered the blood in the mage’s eyes and it sent very confusing messages to his crotch. He shook his head and focused on what was important, helping Lokes. He placed his hand on Loki’s shoulder and began his matra.

“Come on Lokes, wake up. It's just a dream. You’re safe, you’re in the tower, you’re in your room and I'm here so wake up.” The god actually woke up with just that. Normally he would have to say that a few more times, fight off a few fists and hold the god if he'd let him. But this time, he woke up abruptly and backed away immediately, barely missing falling off the bed because he reached the headboard. He immediately saw the engineer and launched at him with a growl.

“Lok-OH FUC-!!” Tony managed to cover his face in time but the nails still cut into his forearms with force. He could feel the strong sting of his skin parting and starting to bleed. He kept his arms over his face and could not help but pray this was not because of that dream, and that this wouldn't ruin everything they had built ‘till now. The god tried to punch him a few more times and began to yell.

“Why?! Why have you not shown your real intentions?! Why are you being kind?! What are you hoping to gain from me?! What is your plan, Man of Iron?! Tell me! TELL ME!!” The words falling out of Loki's mouth were full of hurt, desperation and past betrayal. Tony just could not understand where all of this came from. What had he done wrong for the god to think that way? Was it the dream? No... It wasn't what he had done, it was those before him had. The god had been betrayed and backstabbed so many times, he just felt it was a given that everyone would try to betray him at some point. He had been waiting all this time for the catch, to feel that knife pierce his heart, to lose all he had gained. His was about to drop his hands to hug the god when Bruce and Steve barged in.

The captain forcibly ripped him of the engineer's body and held him up. Bruce then proceeded to quickly take out of the medical bag he had a syringe and injected the god with a transparent liquid. “Don't worry, it's just something used for seizures that should help calm him down.” Answered the doctor to the engineer’s questioning and horrified face.

“Stop! Cease pretending to be kind and that you have genuine interest in me and get it over with! I can not take this anymore! Fight back! Fight me! Show your true self! Cease making me feel as though I am safe and wanted here! Stop this pretend kingship! Cease raising my hopes!! STOP WASTING MY TIME! Stop…. stop making me feel like I am not… not the monster... that I am…” it took a few more harsh whispered words for the god to calm down. He was furiously mumbling but he had stopped fighting to get free of the supersoldier’s grasp.

Seeing as he wouldn't try to punch anyone, the captain set him down and helped him to sit in his bed and when it was confirmed safe, Bruce went to treat Tony’s wounds. They weren't deep or sever, mostly flesh wounds, but there was a lot of them and it stung like a bitch when Brucie began to clean them, making Tony hiss in pain.

“Easy there buddy... I have sensitive skin.” Tied to joke the engineer between flinches. He was trying to act like it was nothing, but it was quite a serious matter. The avenger had quite a lot of work to do after this. He would have to eventually have an actual, heartfelt conversation with the god. He would have to go into… feelings and shit. He should probably have Bruce help with that part. But he thought maybe the best option right then was to not make that much of a deal of what had just happened.

The engineer was lost in thoughts when good ol’ Brucie was finished covering his arms in extensive bandages and was staring at him in worry. “Tony. Are you ok? What are we going to do now?” Asked the doctor.

“Well I don't know about you guys, but Pepper has kept me locked up in my office for the last two days. My engines need some well deserved loving. The ladies and gents require constant careful attention and care, a special kind of lovemaking.” Said the engineer, winking at Steve, knowing full well how uncomfortable mixing “fondue”(still couldn't get over that one) and technology would make him.

“Tony, you’re hands are in no condition for that. You’ll stain the bandages, the cuts will get infested and-” started to argue Bruce but Tony had a plan and he needed to be alone with the god for it.

“I’ll wear fingertipless gloves, mom.” Interrupted Tony, giving his friend a look, trying to convey his plans to the other scientist but Steve cut in.

“Tony, Dr. Banner is right. You’re in no condition to… to work on your technology.” Tried to argue Stevie, while also trying to hide the pink that had showed up on his cheeks. Urg, wonder cap would be harder to shake off and he desperately hoped his science bro understood and helped with that.

“I’ve literary worked in worst conditions. I’ll be fine. How about this then? Have Loki watch over me. Have him make sure I’m wearing gloves or something. But if I don't get down there now, I swear I'm gonna start loosing my mind and I’ll order J.A.R.V.I.S. to blare the cringiest music he can find through every speaker in the tower.” Lightly threatened the engineer, already thinking of a few possible options and grinning.

“Loki? But he was the on-” tried to interject the captain, but this time mean and green was the one to interrupt, finally catching Tony’s intentions.

“Fine! I give up. You’re helpless!... How about it? Can you look out for him, Loki? He really has no self-control or self-preservation instincts… Loki?” Tony could see how the mage flinched every time his name was mentioned.

“...what? I?... but I…” At the request he paled and looked wide eyed at the doctor, clearly not understanding his reasoning.

“Please? I have to run some tests and I need Steve to help me move the heavy equipment and I don't trust Tony to actually be careful and to not hurt himself more, so mind doing that for me?” Asked Brucie with a smile that was soft and kind, not threatening per se, but it made it impossible to say no to. 

“I… yes… I shall make sure he receives no further injury…” said the god, pointedly looking away, probably remembering back to when he saw those eyes tinted green.

“Good. Then let's go Steve.” Said the scientist as he shoved the soldier out the door.

“But!... what if…” Brucie shut him up with a strong look. The man was known for being calm, kind and the perfect picture of zen, just so he could control the Hulk, so seeing him stern made any of them tense. He granted Steve the fact that he tried to hold the other’s stare, but after a short while he gave up and let the shorter man drag him away.

Tony chuckled at their little argument and it kinda warmed his heart that they were both doing what they thought was best for him. They were the closest thing he had to family. “Come on, my glorified Nanny, I need to work on Mark 39’s thruster power. My Mars penthouse is not gonna build itself so I won't let some small flesh wounds stop me.” He stood up from the ground and went over to offer a hand to the god.

Loki flinched away from the touch and answered, unable to meet Tony’s eyes. “Stark… I… I am…” he probably wanted to apologies and was probably worried that Tony was gonna retaliate or hate him for what he had done or maybe he wanted to sit alone so he could hate himself for losing control like that. Either way, Tony would not stand for it. He grabbed the pale man’s arm and helped him stand.

“Shh, save it for now, indulge me.” Tony took a set of the clothes he saw on the couch and gave it to the god, just now remembering how he looked. He turned away, not trusting his eyes not to roam and not wanting the other to catch him.

Once Loki declared he was ready with an awkward little cough, Tony turned around with a smile, having managed to compose himself in time. “Come on. I can finally give you the grand tour! J.A.R.V.I.S. prep my elevator. We’ve got a show to give and an audience to awe.” Said the engineer as he grabbed the god’s hand, intertwined their fingers, not caring about the implications or the injuries and lead them, wickedly smiling, to the place that felt more like home than any of the residences he’s ever lived in ever have. To his sacred haven, his evil lair, his heart and soul(that is, if he actually believed in that spirit crap. Tony would stick to his science, thank you very much) poured, molded and shaped into physical form. Time to shoot to thrill.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *queue AC/DC Shoot to Thrill here*
> 
> https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ttzxpmZUb9M
> 
> God I LOVE love that song so much. Hope you liked the scene~! PLEASE, constructive criticism is muuuuch appreciated!


	23. Something more

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Le gasp* a new chapter? Only a week apart from the last one? *faints*  
> I've been waiting for this scene for AGES so it kinda wrote itself REALLY fast. I hope I can keep this up and go back to posting more frequently.

“You might have magic voodoo and all, Space Gandalf, but this is where the _real_ magic happens.” Boasted the avenger as the metallic doors to his domain opened.

“So this is where you do your mortal _science_ , then.” Acknowledged and corrected the mage, still having a hard time keeping his emotions in control. He had to be in high alert but sentiment was eating at his concentration. He felt rage and fear, betrayal to come, hope, longing and distress. His mind could simply not decide between wishing to run away before he was struck down and staying with the mortal, just so he could apologies and be let back into his kind grace. It was ridiculous and pathetic, and Loki loathed himself for thinking so weak and being so vulnerable. He decided to act like nothing had happened and prepared himself for whatever took place; he would not be caught unaware and he would not go down without a fight, as short as it may be.

"Right, this is the workshop, my evil lair, or batcave, with my trusty butler, J.A.R.V.I.S." Stark began, sweeping his arms around.

 _“Good morning, Mr. Skywalker.”_ Greeted the voice in the walls, J.A.R.V.I.S.

The mortal continued gesturing to the middle left, "Over there's where all the testing and experimenting goes down.” Explained Stark, chucking. “You’ll probably wanna stay clear of that area while I'm firing my prototypes," It was a large area, as wide as a small training arena. It was the room Stark said he had tested the spider child and the one they had kept the assassins until they decided to cooperate. There were burn marks and holes blasted into the walls, broken glass and general debris littered everywhere. Loki had been there for the assassins, but he had been too focused on them to actually notice his surroundings. Now he had the chance.

Loki looked around, noticing the simultaneous state of order and chaos in the rest of the room. Constructs he suspected were left and abandoned for whichever reason laid over smooth metal work tables. They shined with the various lights around the room and what he suspected were tools, were lying about on them and on the floor; cables crisscrossing and lingering everywhere. It was a chaotically ordered mess. And Loki had to be true with himself and admit that he loved it. It was just like the mortal and he could see his spirit edged into every surface, machinery and tool.

Stark pointed to the area off to the immediate right. "Over there's the showcase area," He shrugged, seeming to not give much importance to the wide area with a circular raised platform in the center. Around said platform where the armor sets belonging to the avenger, gleaming like trophies. There were empty spaces towards the end, the man clearly intending on adding to the collection in the future. "Those're my babies," he smirked proudly, fondly looking them over.

Loki walked over and saw inscriptions beside a few. One said ‘ _The Ghost_ ’, another the ‘ _Hulk-Buster_ ’, a few had the word ‘ _Mark_ ’ and symbols he recognized as a old mortal numbering system, another was the ‘ _Heartbreaker_ ’... Rather odd names, Loki thought. He was mostly intrigued by the ‘ _Hulk-Buster_ ’ one, not quite comprehending why he would have an armor with a name which gave the impression it could hurt his brother in arms.

Loki was startled out of thought by the mortal talking again "So what'd you thinking so far? Hmm?" the human grinned. Loki truly was amazed. The entire room was filled with constructs that were far more advance that any other technology the mortals had created. The little hawk had told him his inventions were _‘light years_ ’ more advanced than anything else on Midgard, but he had not yet realized just how much that statement truly meant. He all but forgot his worries, focusing on marveling at the inventions.

"It is impressive," Loki conceded and gestured at the wall of armors. "I recognise that one, and that other one," he pointed at them in turn. "You wore those when you fought me, correct? Back when… Ah… I also recognize that one from when you found me… Why have you so many?" The mage quickly changed the direction for the topic, not wanting to remember those times. Nevertheless, he truly was curious about the quantity, seeing how many he had on display and suspecting he had even more stored away. He had gone to war with Loki with just the two; he couldn't possibly need more than a few to change into when the current one was wrecked.

"Hmm? Oh, that's... They’re all built for different situations…” Stark shrugged and continued explaining, rubbing his neck and not quite looking at Loki for some reason. “It's just me adapting to every possible outcome," He paused, debating with himself if to explain in detail or not, suspected Loki.

"Like that one over there? That one’s Hydro, made it for deep sea diving. It's made to withstand high amounts of pressure several hundred feet below the sea level. It also has sonar to help with the no light visibility atmosphere problems. And hmm, let's see, that one is made for stealth missions. Quite ingeniously named by me the," Stark paused "Stealth suit." that earned the man a snort from the god, which seems to please him greatly.

"War Machine’s over there, my buddy Rhodey uses it from time to time since back when shit came up with Vanko, you probably don't know the guy, real asshole. _Vanko_ , I mean. You would love Rhodey. He helped me out that time and that's the closest I've ever gotten to a sidekick, but, Iron Man doesn't need no sidekick, to keep the records straight.” Pointedly said the man with a fond smile that betrayed his statement. “The one I'm working on doesn't have a name yet, but I'm designing it for deep space travel. Oh and-!.. Er… Actually.. Sorry. Didn't mean to ramble..." Grumbled the human, shifting his weight from foot to foot.

 _Astonishing_... Loki could not _believe_ his eyes or ears, he had thought himself to be the only one that prepared so thoroughly for situations that were not even near the horizon. Then, in a split second, everything changed and his blood froze in his veins, a thought occurring to him. "Could they function on their own? Are they sentient, like your building?" he asked with a breath caught in his windpipe, turning to the Avenger and watching him with wary eyes. He knew the human was incredibly similar to him. Had he been in his position, while having sentient armours, he would have mounted an ambush with them on the god that had tried to conquer his precious little world. If it were him in the position of Stark, he would do almost anything to extract the information on the upcoming threat, and then casually invite him over into a trap.

"Jeez, again with the sentient… Under my orders, they can," he shrugged again with a laugh, making a hologram appear in front of one of the armors and typed in a few things. "I've coded Jarvis to activate and run them only under my command. I could recode that to give others access, should it be necessary, doubt it tho’. So for now, only I have control of the legion. Huh… Iron legion, sounds nice. Oh and they're only as smart as I made my buddy J.”

 _"Are you intentionally trying to hurt my feelings, Sir?"_ J.A.R.V.I.S. suddenly inquired from around them.

Stark laughed, "It was intended as a compliment!" He grinned, turning to look at Loki when his face fell, catching the god looking apprehended and panicked.

Loki remained standing as casually as he could manage and avoided the stare pointed his way, while still keeping the threat in sight, pretending like nothing was wrong. If the avenger had wanted to end him, he would have poisoned him in his drug-induced sleep. Or he could have merely remained in the lift and closed the doors before activating the armors. He was _not_ going to kill Loki. He was... not. Reassuring himself with logic almost never worked, even more recently. It was a fear that had been rooted deep in his guts and subconsciousness. His left hand shook a little and he made it into a fist by his leg, taking shuddering breaths as he looked in every possible direction for any movement. Looking for all the possible exists and what he could use as a weapon. But it was useless, the more he thought, the more he panicked.

He was not just scared of being betrayed, of being lulled into a false sense of security by the warmth of care that Stark provided, of the warmth he had longed to feel all of his life, and then having it all be part of some elaborated plan to get rid of him or capture him, he expected it, because that was what he did, it was carved deep in his nature. Mortals and gods had called him the God of Lies, the Silver-tongued  _Liesmith_ but more accurately than anything, he was the god _in_ lies. He had been lied to and cheated, over and over again, time after time throughout all his life. By his ‘ _family_ ’, by his ‘ _friends_ ’, by his ‘ _allies_ ’, by all he met and it had molded him into the being he was now. A liar, a pretender, a cheater, a manipulator, a ‘ _ **monster**_ ’ as they had so graciously called him. Someone undeserving of affection without accompanied distrust, because he himself was unable to give such affection to anyone without expecting a betrayal of their part at any moment. How he longed for that to change but he knew it was foolish. How could he trust? _Who_ could he trust?

But he was nothing if not a pretender and with practice, he had been able to mask his panic attacks more efficiently lately. So he looked at the suits and then at the man who had created them and plastered on a smile, only his eyes betraying him as they were bright with distrust. All the mortal had to offer was a sort of smile. A sad, warm one Loki recognized had no ill intent behind it. It was not even pitiful, yet still he could not trust it. Loki still was not pacified. His eyes were ever so slightly wide around the edges.

The inventor tipped his head and sighed. "Look, Lokes…” began to say the man. "I'm not gonna..." another sigh as he waved his arm in the general direction of the armors and the rest of the room. " _Nothing's_ gonna happen. Nothing is going to hurt you here or anywhere. I wouldn't let that happen. Besides, I prefer hearing how astonishing I am rather than how intimidating my weaponry might be," he chuckled dryly but regained seriousness quickly.

“Look… I can recognize the face you’re making right now. You think I'm going to betray you at some point. Ambush you or something. It's probably not even something you fear in the sense of ‘this might happen’, it's something you expect at this point. I get it, ‘cause it's the exact same face _I_ make for the exact same reasons… It’s a mask, the same I hide behind day after day, and a lot more lately, after being kidnapped and tortured and made to make a weapon that would destroy thousands of innocent lives, out of my _own_  weapons, by the way. While simultaneously learning that I had actually doing that _all along_ … it’s the face I make since after I was betrayed and ordered to kill by the man I considered to more of a father than the actual man who called himself my father…” the inventor paused to breath, obviously haunted by his words and tale. But after running both hands over his face and shifting to directly look at Loki, he continued.

“Everyone knows ‘ _Tony Stark_ ’ for the Iron Man's iconic face, but few people realize that that’s not the only mask I hide behind. My everyday faces are damn masks as well. A mask of happiness, a mask of security, a mask of confidence. But a mask is always a mask. So I get your paranoia, I get your distress, _boy_ do I get your panic attacks and I even get why you attacked me… but it's precisely because I get it, that I need you to understand that I would _never_ do the things they did to me to anyone else, not even to my worst enemy. Not even to purple chins man, for Christ sake… so…” the unbelievable mortal paused, walking over to the god, gently grabbing both hands of Loki and giving them a reassuring squeeze

“So _stop_ expecting me to betray you and give me a chance… to… I don't know, be _friends._ Or maybe something... _more_ … anyway, just stop expecting me to betray you or harm you… if I do hurt you, and I probably will, it'll be 'cause I'm reckless and it'll be far from intentional. Sorry in advance for that... but when I do, just yell at me for it if you have to, like everyone else does, but stop looking at me like I'm some damn bomb with a hidden timer you have to watch out for… it stings more than it probably should since I know _why_ you're doing it and expect you to recognize I’m the one person that wouldn't do it… so just… trust me, please.” the mortal coughed, dropped his gaze, but held onto the slightly shaking hands. They stood like that for what felt like hours, but must have been mere minutes. Enough time for Loki to catch his bearings and answer.

"I… I _know_ … I know in the back of my rational mind, that the evidence has always pointed to that, and that what you say is true and to be trusted, Stark. And that there is more between us..." the god confessed, "but in my heart..." he trailed off… feeling far more vulnerable than he had at the hands of his torturers. "I still fear betrayal..." he finished in a barely heard whisper, laying himself bare before the mortal who held the power to crush him in an instance. But Sta… no… Tony… no, not that either… _Anthony_ was alright, he tried to remind himself. Anthony had just told him nothing would hurt him here, and Loki still retained enough presence of mind to distinguish a lie from the truth. Anthony was a good man. A great man even. A far better ally than Loki ever should deserve, let alone a friend. Yes, Anthony was a friend. And more, Loki had to stop denying the fact that the mortal had become more. He would not be so childish as to call it love, but it was something deep; but for now, he would reserve that information, as he had no idea what the other felt.

Loki forced himself to look away from Anthony and to the rest of the room. Letting himself admire everything instead of cataloging it for threats. He finally laid his sight on the armors and they were merely _that_ and nothing more. Simply, exquisitely invented and designed, complicated metal armors; not an ambush, not a ploy, just an astonishing inventor showing off his creations the same way Loki had had a collection of hand-made and magic-weaved items in display in his bed chambers. The way he had in display for himself his most precious creations in his secret room in the tree. He took a deep breath and finally let himself relax.

When Loki reopened his eyes, not quite noticing when he had closed them or when Anthony had let go of his hands, the other had sat down in front of one of the work tables and was playing with his holographics, his back turned to god. It was a show of trust and of openness, and it was also his way of giving Loki privacy to compose himself.

Yes. There was a connection there. Something _more_ , something _deep_ , something meaningful and something Loki would not be able to shake off easily. Something that would destroy him if the other betrayed him. But he would not doubt him anymore. He would ensure he kept the mortal, no matter what he had to do for it. It was a connection he would explore. He took the chair the mortal had pulled out for him and sat down; smiling fondly at the back of _Anthony_ , with a hint of exasperation and self annoyance; when had he become so easy to read?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yaaay! He finally admits Tony means more! About time, I can finally start writing the scenes that got me writing in te first place! 
> 
> P.S. As always, constructive criticism is always warmly welcomed and so are kudos, bookmarks and suscriptions~
> 
> Also, I'm really curious, how did you guys found out about this fanfic, let me know in the comments below, please, thanks and love ya all~! ❤️


	24. Sparks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *coughs* well..... seems like a month has passed... oops..
> 
> Seriously tho, sorry, this chapter just didn't want to cooperate and even now I'm not really happy with it but can't think what else to do with it so here it is...

“What’d you think?” Asked Tony as he proudly presented his design to the god. Lokes leaned forward over Tony’s shoulder making the inventor’s heart skip for a moment. This is new. He hadn't expected the mage to be ok with being physically close to someone after all that’s happened.

“When was it you said you made this again?” Asked the god after examining the blueprints for a while. He probably didn't understand everything he was looking at but Tony could appreciate the look of awe on his face. Even if he did not get the technicalities of human technology, he was smart enough to piece things together and draw accurate conclusions. Tony took a moment to simply contemplate the way Loki’s features shifted. How his eyebrows knitted together when he was analyzing something and how they slowly shifted upwards in awe as he understood something and as they immediately came back to be knitted as he focused on the next part. How he lifted only one eyebrow when he attention was caught by something he probably found intriguing.

It was obvious after staring for a while, that the god had completely forgotten his own question and was completely focused on the blueprints. It was good to see him loosen up around the avenger. It was even something similar to cute, in a special Loki kind of way that didn't make him look even a inch less royal or majestic, when Tony startled him out of thought by answering his forgotten question.

“While Pepper forced me to listen to Stark Industries stock stuff.” He’d been bored out of his mind with all the stock talk, plus you could cut the tension and awkwardness in the air with a butter knife. He still could not look at Pepper in the eye. He couldn't fire her, she was too good at her job and she still meant so much to Tony; he wouldn't survive a week without her. But it hurts. It hurts him to be in the same room as her. She never would ever hold the same amount of trust she did before. And she knew it as well; they both reverted back to their boss/employee relationship but even that was still too much. He remembered how much his fingers were twitching to do something, like right now, so he had done just that. And went ahead and made a whole suit in one go.

“In other words, you ignored your assistant in order to design a complicated suit in what had to be a short amount of time… just to pass that time.” Assessed the mage. It was obvious he had noticed Tony’s fidgeting. The fact that he did not comment on it made the avenger relax.

“Basically?” Answered Tony with a sarcastic tone.

Reindeer Games stood up straight again, crossed his arms with one of his eyebrow raised in question and asked. “How is it that you have yet to conquer this realm for yourself?”

Tony had to chuckle at that. He probably could take over the world, but why would he? Politics are boring. “I’d be bored in less than a week. What’s the fun in ruling everything? No more laws to bend at my will. No more authority to challenge. Boring. Anyway, you think he’ll like it?” Asked the inventor, not doubting the answer one bit.

“Anything would look better than the rags he dares call his battle armor… not to mention anything coming from your creation, will be idolized by the child.” Conceded the god with a smirk as he turned around and leaned on the workbench, his arms still crossed

“Perfectly understandable tho’, me being who I am and all that.” Only half joked the inventor, feeling in a much better mood now. It was so easy to relax around the god like this. In the back of his mind, voices were screaming for Tony to be more alert. Warning that this was the guy who attacked New York and killed Coulson. That this was they guy who defernestaded him. That he had been betrayed over and over by those close to him. But he wasn't paying attention to the voices right now. He had just told the god it was because he had gone through something similar that he should trust him. He shouldn't be a hypocrite and not trust him for the exact same reasons. Besides, it felt right to be like this. It felt right in a way he had not experienced for years, way before Afghanistan.

He heard the god chuckle and answer with a small smile “Always the humble one, Stark.”

 _Jeez, enough emotional shit, Stark._   _Back to work_ “You know it, babe. Now J.A.R.V.I.S. build it and use the stealth suit to deliver the case to his room. Make it so he finds it on his bed or something. Be sure to set it in the training wheels protocol.” Instructed the engineer to his AI.

 _“Shall I leave a note, Sir?”_ Asked J, with the thoughtfulness Tony didn't remember programming him with.

“Hmm yeah, write something like ‘Minor upgrades’ and initialize it.” Indicated Tony, turning his chair to face the god that still had a smile on. Tony was 70% sure Lokes was unaware of it.

“I hard-coded it last night after you guys dragged me to diner. Even added one of the spare AI systems I made way back when to the suit. Didn't give her a name. I’ll let him do that once I deactivate the safety and training protocols.” Explained the avenger as he closed the holograms.

“You gave this a lot of thought.” Stated the god, dropping the smile for a pensive look.

“The kid has undeniable potential. Might as well train him before he hurts himself…” vaguely explained Tony. He knew the god was expecting more of an answer, but he didn't know how to really convey his feelings about this.

“He is strong, not only in the physical aspect. He will grow to be a great man.” Stated Rudolf, obviously, but carefully, probing for more.

“Oh, no doubt about that, what I'm scared about is that he’s trying to be a man _now_ and he’s barely 16. He’ll get himself killed and it’ll be my fault.” Finally said the mortal.

To that, the mage stood straight again and fully faced the man whose heart could not take another innocent child's death caused by him. “Stark, you barely know this child. You have just met him and he is not even a relative of yours. How could his death be your fault?”

“He’s my responsibility now that’ve gone and forced him to admit his powers to me… I just… feel a sense of duty, okay?” Tried to explain Tony. He knew it didn't make much sense and that it wasn't actually his responsibility, but it just felt that way. Enough innocent lives were lost because of his inventions and irresponsibility.

“Unnecessary worry and effort, were you to ask me. Either way, you have shown me that you have done a lot to keep him safe. Now it is just a matter of letting him learn how to fight his own wars.” Tried to explain the ‘wise old alien’ like Tony didn't already know that. He shouldn't get angry at Loki. He was just trying to help.

“I guess… but… J.A.R.V.I.S. add Happy’s number to back of the note and tell him he’s in charge of the kid for now. Now you, don't forget he saved you so you owe him one.” Said the human pointing to the alien.

“I would never forget something like that easily, Stark.” Said Lokes, sounding only half heartedly offended. But like he said, now it's Peter’s job to learn how to defend himself. He was still gonna train him more rigorously later but for now, he would be fine.

There wasn't really anything else to do now that the suit was being made and delivered so Tony remembered a bet he'd made and he was waiting to pay for. “Now, how about that date?”

“Date?” Asked the god, obviously unsure of what Tony was referring to. It had been about a month ago that he had proposed the challenge, and it had been more of a joke than anything, but, I mean, why not?

“You won the challenge, you solved the Rubik’s Cube in a day so you get to chose where we go. I have today free and I could use a date with a hot alien god.” Reminded the avenger with a grin. This was probably not gonna end well but he honestly couldn't care less right now. He was in a good mood and Loki probably needed some fresh air. Color had returned to his skin but he was still on the paler-than-normal side and as skinny as a tig.

“Would it be wise to leave, while the spies are still assessing the credibility of my… predicament?” Validly asked the mage. He had a point, one that Tony would ignore.

He waved off his concerns and said. “Forget that, let Bruce and Cap handle them. Plus if you go outside and nothing explodes, it's counts in a our favor. So where to, Rock of Ages?”

The god was quiet for a few moments, looking unsure. Then a small spark lighted up in his eyes. It stole Tony’s breath away. He couldn't quite place what it was, but it looked alive, a hint… Mischievousness?... And very much like how the god should look. Like he was returning to himself, even if it was the first time Tony was seeing that look on his face. But it just felt right. It felt like how Loki should normally look. Happy plotting mischief. “I… would like to see more of Midgard… would a small tour perhaps be possible?”

“A tour? Well lots of things are still being reconstructed… but there’s a few places we can still check out, I guess. Anything is specific?” That wasn’t what Tony was expecting at all but it did kinda make sense. The god didn't know much of Earth and barely saw anything in his… last visit.

“Is there a place that contains collections of Midgard’s history? Like a museum?” Asked the god.

“Well the largest museum in the world s’not that far from here; the Smithsonian. But it’s impossible to see all of it in one day, plus they have heavy security so… Oh there’s the American Museum of Natural History like 20 minutes away. Sounds boring, definitely not my usual date MO… but sure, we can go there if you want. You’ll need a disguise, tho’. Not for the public, S.H.I.E.L.D. basically deleted all evidence that tied goldilocks’ brother being the one to lead the attack, but they probably have face recognition running 24/7 with your pretty little face in one of the long threats lists and I really don't want to deal with them yet.” Explained the avenger, probably not helping to convince the god much.

“I am becoming warier of this idea with every word that comes out of your mouth, Stark. It is true that I have missed walking freely, going unnoticed and fooling the senses of your shield, but without the aid of my magic, the risk seems to be outweighing the fun.” Argued Lokes with a worried half smile.

“Ha! I was starting to wonder where’d your ‘God of Mischief’ title gone to. And come on, we don't need your fancy magic for that, Gandalf. I sneak around all the time. you’ll be surprise how easily the ‘civilian starter pack’ actually works. Or maybe not since you don't get those movie references yet. Anyway, how about we first get you some better clothes, grab some burgers cause you need to know what a good ol’ American burger and cheeseburger, are. Then we head to the museum and after that, we hit a restaurant for some diner. Sound good?” Laid out the engineer, wiggling his eyebrows in invitation.

After what felt like ages of drowning in the mage’s eyes as he tried to keep up the staring contest, Rudolf finally gave in and answered with a sigh. “Sounds adequate.”

“Adequate?? No date with Tony Stark is simply adequate, sweetheart.” Quipped back the playboy. _Is that how you wanna play it? Fine, I’ll show you just what it means to go on a date with Tony Stark, genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist._

“Do kindly remember you speak to the former prince and god of a realm. One who grew up surrounded by other lesser gods and slept in a crib draped with gold, wrapped in the finest of pelts and fabrics. Adequate seems rather accurate, my dear mortal _Anthony_.” Said the self-proclaimed god as he walked around the human. Delivering the last sentence from behind, close to the mortal’s ear. It rattled Tony far more than it should have. Surprisingly tho’, not mainly because of the proximity.

“You… you used my name.” Was the only ineloquent sentence that was able to come out of the inventor.

Loki quickly came back in front of Tony and uttered in a small voice. “Ah… I… it was only meant to emphasize my jest, please, mind it not.”

“No… I don't mind, it's just that I haven't been called Anthony in… years… Everyone’s always called me Tony or Stark, only my mother used to call me Anthony so after she… well I just insisted everyone call me Tony, to spare myself the…” the utter heart wrenching pain, suffering, longing and regret that he felt. It had hurt so much the first time someone had called him that, after his parents death, that he had spent an entire month with a bottle always in his left hand and all manner of… other even more addictive and destructive substances in his right hand. Obi luckily had found him before he had choked in his own vomit in one of those abandoned drug houses.

“I sincerely apologize… I clearly see this troubles you and make you highly uncomfortable and I did not intended to cause you distress...I shall refrain from ever doing it again…” said Loki, looking smaller with each word as he scratched and rubbed the skin between his thumb and forefinger with his other hand in what had to be an unconscious nervous tick. He slowly began to back away as well, likely debating if to run away or stay but Tony wouldn't let him.

“No! No… I… I actually kinda like hearing you use it.” It wasn't a lie. It had been quite the shock but after a few seconds of his brain processing, Tony noticed it actually sounded quite nice in Loki’s voice. “It took me by surprise, that’s all… Anyway, you’ll draw too much attention with those Stark Industries clothes so let's see if we can find something more fitting for that royal ass of yours in my closet..”

* * *

 

“You are saying this synthetic, overly greased, burger of cheese, is actually considered a delicacy here on Midgard?” Loki furrowd his brow, looking at the burger like it was offending him.

“Hey, if you don't want it, hand it over. And it's a cheeseburger. Cheese. Burger. Don't call it burger of cheese, it's just wrong and unAmerican.” Complained Stark with a grimace as he went to grab the burger. Loki quickly pulled it away from his grasp, a little too quickly. Tony knew all too well why… The god had been eating properly for the past month but he was probably still feeling the hunger from his period in captivity. Tony remembered when he came back from Afghanistan, how every bite of food was still so precious after barely being feed for three months. He could not imagine how bad it was for Lokes who was starved for a whole year. He pretended not to notice the hunger in those emerald eyes. He watched the god take a bite and he seemed to like it, but he made no comment on it. They ate more burgers and headed out to the Museum.

It took some handling, but Tony managed to get them into the Museum without many noticing who he was or who he was with. A little bribing here and a few autographs and picture there, did the trick. They saw most of the exhibit and Tony had to explain far more history than he ever knew he knew. All in all, it was actually fun. Loki’s genuine curiosity was refreshing and his comments were delightful to listen two. Tony had never seen him so relaxed or happy, ever. But even with that, he could still see moments were the god suddenly spaced out. It was like he wasn't sure where he was anymore and he would look around with wild eyes until he saw Tony. He would try to hide it, and almost succeeded but Tony was an engineer. Engineers are some of the most observant people ever. Not to mention Tony was a walking ball of paranoia. It took a few times for Tony to notice the distant looks, the tense muscles and the frantic eyes. But Lokes was doing his best not to show it so Tony would do his best to pretend to not notice.

Tony was standing by the bathroom, waiting for Loki to finish washing his hands, when a call came in on Tony’s phone and every muscle in the Avenger’s body tensed. The engineer had set his phone on silent and no call could pass through, unless J.A.R.V.I.S. recognized it as a true emergency. This had to be something serious so the inventor quickly took out his ringing phone and answered it.

“Talk to me J.” Requested Tony to his AI.

 _“Mr. Stark?! Oh thank god you answered!”_ Said frantically Peter, the Spider Kid.

“Kid? what’s wrong? I'm kinda busy right now. This better be an actual emergency. Is there a problem with the suit?” Asked Tony, readying himself to be really annoyed if this wasn't really an emergency.

 _“Oh, no no no, the suit is amazing! I love the color scheme and the shooters are similar to the my original design and the tiny logo looks really cool and- Whoa!!”_ A loud crash was heard from the other side accompanied by loud static.

“Kid? Hey kid, you there? Peter?!” Static? Stark communications devices didn't have static. What the hell could he be doing that was causing _static_ to his devices??

 _“Ow… I’m… I’m okay, but sparky here really wants to blow my head off!”_ Answered the kid with a grunt.

“Sparky??” Tony was startling to seriously panic. This was too soon. He couldn’t lose the kid so fast. That would be too cruel.

 _“He calls himself Electro, but I call him Sparky. I found him trying to steal Stark tech from a delivery truck but it turned out he wasn't a ry trying to steal the tech, he was actually trying to steal the energy from them, which was odd, but then I learned he can control electricity, which would be really cool if he hadn't just fried one of my web shooters and he wasn't trying to turn the rest of me into a baked spider! He’s headed for Stark Tower to steal energy from the Arc Reactor!”_ Loki walked out of the bathroom then and quickly dropped his smile and ran to Tony when he saw the panic in his eyes.

“Where are you now kid??” Asked the engineer, locking eyes with the god. He needed those eye to anchor himself. This could not be happening.

 _“Riding a truck’s roof on my way to the tower, but I won't get there in time, he can surf on electrical cables!”_ Damn. If he gets in there, he'd have enough energy to blow up the whole of Manhattan!

“J. Turn off the Arc Reactor!” Ordered the Avenger.

_“Oh and- whoa! That was close.. he can turn stuff back on, Mr. Stark! Turning the Reactor off won't be enough! He’ll just turn it ba-Ahh!!”_

“Kid?? Kid, you there!? PETER!!”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah... I'm probably gonna end up writing a one-shot later of that date much more detailed. I owe that to you guys and myself.
> 
> P.S. In my month of stuckness, I went back and re-read every chapter and re-edited all of them. Plotwise, it's still the same, but I think it's much clearer and easier to read now. So I invite everyone to re-read the story, but also know it's not necessary to continue with the story.
> 
> As always, constructive criticism is always welcomed!


	25. On a mission

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would love to thank my beautiful friend, Queen Lexy, for helping me with this chap! They roleplayed the whole thing with me and helped out a lot with Spidey when I was quite stuck with him! So thank you love~! ❤️
> 
> Also, I guess I should explain that for this fanfic the Spidey I use is the version from Homecoming(Tom Holland), I use a younger version of Gwen(Emma Stone) from The Amazing Spider-Man, Electro(Jamie Foxx) from the same movie and younger version of Harry(James Franco) from Spider-Man. I feel like those were the most accurate and the ones I needed for this story so yeah, that's that.

_Oh and- whoa! That was close.. he can turn stuff back on, Mr. Stark! Turning the Reactor off won't be enough! He’ll just turn it bac-Ahh!!”_

“Kid?? Kid, you there!? PETER!!” Yelled Anthony, startling those around him. Loki had no idea what was happening but it seemed like that spider child, Parker, was in trouble. Anthony kept frantically calling for him but when no response came from the device, he put it away and took off running for his car. A few people noticed who he was but he just kept running. They could worry about that later.

Loki ran after him as best as he could but walking all day had tired his still recovering body. Anthony jumped in and opened the door for him and they took off, probably breaking many of those laws midgardians were so fond of. Once inside Loki tried to breathlessly ask the human what was happening but he was too focused on driving as fast as he could and avoiding all the other cars. He was only able to respond with _‘Electro trying to steal power from Arc Reactor’_ and _‘Gotta save Peter’._ Loki had no idea what or who Electro was, but if someone was stealing power from the Arc Reactor, this was a serious problem. He remembered from his own attack how powerful the Reactor was and how dangerous it could be in the wrong hands. If Parker was somehow involved in stopping the one trying to steal that power… the outcome did not look very favorable for him.

It took them about 10 minutes to arrive at the tower. Ten minutes where the mortal made call after call but received no answer from the spider child. He also called the tower and warned the Captain and Dr. Banner of the problem. It did not slip his notice that Anthony did not warn the spies.

When they arrived at the tower, the first thing Anthony did was call one of his armored suits. Seeing the suit did not help the already panicking mind of Loki but he stayed in control as best as he could. Anthony slowly took hold of the waist of Loki, obviously noticing his discomfort and he flew them to the party deck. Once there, he instructed Loki to stay hidden until the threat was dealt with, but, as you can surely guess, Loki did not listen.

He had enough of acting like a weak victim that needed protection. He was a former prince of Asgard! A _god_ and a mage no less! He might not have most of his magic but he still had his combat skills, mortal or not. He went up to the Medical Bay and grabbed a few of the sharpest medical knifes he found and took off in the directions of the stairs and down again to the Reactor.

He went down a few dozen floors before he was nearly breathless again and he heard fighting and a familiar young voice. He opened the door and looked inside, finding Parker trying to talk to the… person? The… _oh you have to be kidding. This had to be some sort of cosmic jest by the Norms…_ the blue person who was threatening the bystanding mortals. Loki slipped behind a column and listened.

“What's the matter, Sparky? You're looking a little blue” he heard Parker say. With his full suit on, Loki had to admire how well it was made and how well it fit the boy. It did not make him look threatening but it also did not make him look like someone who could be played around with. Loki would have to compliment the inventor again, later. But for now, he had to also admit with a grin he admired the child for being so bold.

“You lied to me... you said you were my friend." Said the blue creature, sending energy to the cable he hold, threatening the mortals behind the spider.

"Wow! Take it easy there, Max!" Said the child as he stood between the lunatic and the mortals.

"Don't call me Max! I'm Electro! And I'm not your friend! You’re my enemy!!" Said the vial man as he skin glowed with the energy that was coursing through his body. This was dangerous… _really_ dangerous. As what used to be a man raised the cable to strike, Loki threw one of his thin knives and it imbedded itself in the shoulder of the man, making him drop the cable. The throw only missed his chest because of his general weakness from his injuries. Loki cursed and hide himself from view again, not wanting to miss his advantage of surprise. Parker took the opportunity to bind the blue creature with the web from his shooters.

"Woo! Ninja reflexes." Said the boy. As soon as Loki saw the electrical man blinded, he slipped into the room and kicked his legs off balance and sent him tumbling down. He quickly sat on him and stabbed him in right in the middle of his chest and could feel the warmth of blood pool under his hands. The electrical man screamed in agony but just as soon as the sound left his mouth, his body disintegrated and the particles flew into the electrical cables, not before sending a spark of energy through the knife up to the hand of Loki. As the energy hit, Loki dropped the knife and yelled as he felt the energy surge through his body. He had been hit many times before by lighting from Thor, but never before had it hurt this much. He felt his entire body twitch a few times before most of his senses came back.

"Jeez! That was a bit overboard! I'm trying to catch him, not murder him! You okay there Lo- _Luke_?” Asked the Spider-Child, almost mentioning his name in front of the humans. He caught himself in time and instead used yet another mortal reference. Loki was beginning to see many resemblances between the child and his own mortal. Speaking of his mortal… he had to find him...

“Child…. please do shut up and help me stand.” Said Loki, quite irritated with his own mortality. It made him too weak. What he could brush off as a minor inconvenience as a god, could actually kill him in this form. It was a serious hindrance.

Parker helped the currently not too godly god stand up and complained. "Hey! I am not a child. I'm Spider- _Man_ ” said the child while making not so subtle, subtle signs to the mortals behind them, surely trying to tell the god to not expose his identity. Why he preferred to keep his identity secret was beyond his understanding.

"All humans seems fresh out of the womb for an immortal, _child_. And I thought you would be more grateful for my assistance in helping you protect those pesky little mortals of yours, even if I find them to be hindrances in the way of their main objective; taking down the nuisance that is trying to steal our power." Said the god, trying to think of a way to reach the underground levels in the quickest way possible. He had no time to deal with fleeting human lives. Anthony was somewhere down there, facing an enemy who feed off energy… while wearing a miniaturized version of what the enemy intended to steal in his chest.

"And I thought I talked a lot… Mr. Stark disconnected the Reactor from the rest of the tower so the elevators are shut down. We’ll have to find another way down… those are a lot of stairs…” said the boy, rather unhelpfully. But an idea sparked in the mind of Loki. He looked at the shooters on the wrists of the spider and saw one of them darkened.

"Hm... do those shooters of yours still work? I might have an idea." Asked the mage, as he looked out the window, contemplating how probable it was that they succeeded... or died.

"One of them does, yeah." Peter looked out the window too. "Wait… What are you thinking...?" Asked the boy, surely figuring out what the god intended.

"Great. Brace yourself." Said the god as he grabbed a nearby chair, threw it at the window, breaking it, and pulled the spider child by his waist out said window. Seeing as they were on the slightly tilted side of the building they sled down the windows, floor after floor passing them by.

The child screamed as they slid. **"Are you mad?!"**

"Possibly!" Yelled back the god with a smirk as adrenaline coursed through his veins and gave him a rush of energy he had not felt in ages. It _filled_ his body with force and he felt more alive than he had in millennia. They sled by dozen after dozen of floors until they could make out shocked people looking up at them from the ground. "Shoot a web up to slow down our descend and so that I may kick in one of the windows!" Instructed the mage as they approached the ground.

"Got it!" As the child did as told, Loki delivered on his side and broke one of the windows, making them tumble inside. The god, as elegant as ever, rolled and stood in a battle position with his knives in hand as the spider, rather ungracefully, fell on his face(or should he say mask?).

"Come now. We are still a few floors away from the Reactor room." Said the alien as he headed for the stairs, ignoring the mortals who had been startled by their sudden appearance on that floor.

"Gah... Yeah... one second" said the red-suited hero as he got up and followed the mage. As the pair ran for the stairs, Loki felt unseen eyes on him. He could not tell where they were and had no time to also consider who they belonged to, so he went down the stairs and ignored those eyes full of hatred.

When they finally arrived to the Reactor room, things were bad. The Reactor was on and Loki could see the Captain hiding behind his shield on the other side of the giant power source as shot after shot of electricity was fired at him. Frantically, Loki scanned the room and found what he was looking for on the right, on the floor. The crimson armor was dreadfully laying on the ground, unmoving.

Loki, for the life of him, could not tell why this infuriated him so much but he felt as rage filled his body, as it had not done since he had fought against his not-brother. He grabbed more firmly his knives and began to round the room from the shadows beside the Reactor, looking for the best moment to strike from behind in the most painful of ways. He would drag out every spark of life out of that _repulsive_  life form and enjoy seeing as the light faded from the eyes of his enemy.

“I'm Electro! I'm pure energy now! Living electricity! Power incarnate! You can't defeat me with a metal shield, Captain America. You are beneath me! My enemy is Spider-Man!" Said the lunatic, soon to be dead, blue scum.

Parker, right on cue, swinged in and bound him with webs. "Funny you should speak of the devil!" Loki took the opportunity and went to strike him down, but before he could connect, immense pain flared up from his right leg. He looked down and saw an arrow had passed all the way through it, right under the knee. The mage fell on his left side as all his sense went out of focus.

He threw the knife in the directions of the blurry blue figure and thought he heard it hit the target but he was in too much pain to enjoy having hurt the annoyance. He saw as the blue man erupted with energy and it hit all those around him, even the archer who had shot him, whose auditory device exploded.

* * *

 

The blast sent them all tumbling back and Peter fell close to the Iron Man suit.

“Shake it off, it's just your bones, your muscles and your organs… ow…” said Spider-Man, trying to shake off the shock of electricity that hit him. He felt as thought he had crashed through a dozen walls.

"Kid? Is that you, Kid??" Asked a voice from inside the suit of armor next to him.

“Mr. Stark! You’re okay!” Said Peter as he ran the last steps to the armor.

"Barely. And you scared the living crap out of me! I thought you were dead!! Help me out of this damn thing so I can _glare_ at you properly!" Demanded the Avenger. Peter did as he was told and followed the inventor’s instructions on how to open the suit manually. If their lives weren't at skate, he would have thought this was so cool!

“O-okay, done!” Said Peter once he finally turned the last nob. Mr. Stark came out and took a deep breath. After a few seconds, he turned to his suit and took something out from one of the compartments.

"Bastard, shutting down my suit... kid… I can't face this enemy, considering I have a battery keeping me alive in my chest so… as much as it pains me to ask this… I'm gonna need your help…” Pete could not believe his ears. Mr. Stark, the Iron Man, needed _his_ help! The big hero from New York, needed help from the small Queen’s neighborhood Spider-Man!

“It would be an honor, Sir. What do you need me to do?” Asked the spider, overexcited with the opportunity that was being presented here, but what he saw in the Avenger’s face, made him pause.

“... Here, I magnetized this shooters so he can't fry them… I'm gonna need you to distract him for a while why I set up the Reactor to overcharge him and hopefully blow him up. When I'm done, I'll need you to string him over it... can you do that?" Asked the inventor, looking incredibly torn. He looked like he knew for certain this might be the last time he would see Peter. Like he thought this was somehow his fault. He looked hurt and guilty and incredibly sad… Peter had never seen all those emotions on his face. This was a man, a man who had lost so much, thinking he was going to lose yet someone else, and it looked like that would tear him apart for good. For the first time, Peter was seeing Tony, not Mr. Stark, not Iron Man, but Tony. The man who had been held captive and tortured in a cave for three months. The man who had seen his weapons be used to kill so many innocent people. The man who had fought in a alien invasion and nearly gotten stuck on the other side of a black hoe trillions of light years away from earth… this was Tony he was looking at… Peter would not fail Tony.

He took off his mask, looked at Tony in the eyes and answered as he took the web shooters. "I-I will do my best. I won't fail you… thank you, Sir."

Peter put the shooters and his mask in place and turned around to face his enemy, who had rematerialized and was walking closer to them. He shot at the floor, the electric sound making the rhythm to Itsy Bitsy Spider.

“Man, I hate that song… now, I don't mean to be a _buzzkill_ , but I'm on a mission here and I can't afford to fail… so, don't be too _shocked_ at the _resistance_ I'm gonna show.  
…  
No? Come on that was good... You no fun… Well then, bring it on, Sparkles!” Said Peter as he launched into action. _Don't worry Mr. Stark. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. I won't fail you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Go Peter, Go! Save our precious babies!! 
> 
> Also I heavily based *coughs coughs* more like copied *coughs coughs* Electro's dialog from various places.. so I don't own most of it, just saying.


	26. Demigods?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm back! Well sorta... like I said weeks ago a hurricane passed over where I live. It caused a lot of damage and many people lost everything. Thankfully my family was of the few who where not that gravely affected. But we still don't have power or water almost a month after the hurricane. But we're safe and that' stuff what matters. 
> 
> P.S. Bunch of thanks to all those who left lovely messages of support! I nearly cried reading them all! I love all of you and I'm so thankful to have you as my lovely readers! So for all of you, here's the next chapter!

Uff Peter’s head hurt from trying to remember everything that happened before the light show. But he wouldn't forget anything from it anytime soon either. It had been quite the fight and Peter had never felt so cool in his life! He had saved the Avengers! Him! Spider-Man! Wow… Oh! Right! He should probably try to document the story.

August 31th:

Dear Diary: …

…

I...I’m mean, me? Have a superhero diary? Pfff nooo?... Ehh never mind… here goes.

So right after Mr. Stark gave me that mission and I gave my cool pun, Electro went and said "Allow me to rain on your parade, wall-crawler!" as he walked by Loki's limp body and created a ball of electricity in his hands. He then launched it at me all kamikasen like.

As an agile Spider, I dodged his attack and taunted the already irritated Mr. Blue Sparkles with "You grow slower by the minute!" as I tried to figure out how to best protect those around me. I could see Loki was on the floor, far too close to Electro for my liking. But if we switched positions, he would have then been next to Mr. Stark… and he might have ignored Loki, considering he couldn't move and was basically bleeding to death there but not Mr. Stark. He would definitely attack Mr. Stark. There was gonna be no attacking Mr. Stark, thank you very much.

Mr. Madman then rambled with "You do realize you're fighting me in a room filled with infinite power, right? Mmm I can feel it in the walls. I can feel it coursing through my veins. No matter what you do, you can't contain it. This is a force of nature. Like _me_! Every minute I stand here, I grow stronger!" Or something like that as he drew energy from the Reactor and it flowed directly into his hand, making it dangerously pulse with light. Once he had enough stolen power, he channeled it into one of the many cables he found on the walls and sent them flying, Jedi style, towards me in an attempt to tangle me. As the wall-crawler that I am, I shot a web at the cable and swung it to the side, effectively sticking it back to the wall. I then followed up by shooting web at one of the many tools and instruments lying around and lunged it towards Electro’s head.

The enemy swatted away the offending drill that I threw at him with a grunt. As we fought, I could see Mr. Stark switch all sorts of levers, press large and small buttons and type many instructions into the Reactor’s computers. It kinda reminded me of one of that reeeeally really old movies. The one with the time machine car. Reminded me of Doc Brown, pressing all sorts of things. Does that mean I’m Marty? Cool. I remember looking back at the mad scientist and saw that from time to time he glanced away from the monitors and at the fight. He looked at those that were hurt around him. His sight lingered more on Loki though, making me realize that what Gwen had suspected might have been true. There was something more going on between those two. But I honestly had no time to think about that or what that meant. I just prepare myself to act when Doc. Stark said he was ready.

Oh and then Sparky yelled "Meddlesome insect! I'm gonna _fry_ you alive tonight!" as he dispersed his body and disappeared into one of the cables and immediately reappeared right behind spider me, striking me. I then used one of the most important defense moves I have ever learned… straight from Dark Souls… I rolled… and turned… very impressively. And then I using my momentum to grab one of the heavy metal floor gratings we stood on with my web and used it to pull Electro’s footing from under him. Then I jumped over him to get back between Mr. Stark and the enemy.

Electro then screamed something like "Arg! You won't get away with this! I'm gonna kill the light! Soon, everyone in this city is gonna know how it feels to live in _my_ world. A world without power. A world without mercy. A world without _Spider-Man_!" as he quickly created a lazo of pure electricity and sent one end of it towards me. This time he effectively tangled my foot with it and swung me against the wall. Made me crash into it and dent it.

I then said something cool like "Gah! That really hurt! Not so much physically, but hearing your constant drama hurts my sensitive spider ears! Honestly, no consideration for Arachnids." and then shot web at Sparky’s face, mainly aiming for his mouth to just shut him up already. Seriously, what’s up with villains and making incredibly boring monologues? Electro was no less than outraged, that was also half my plan. It sadly didn't last long though. He pulled at the web stuck on his face and sent another pulse of energy from his body, smaller than before when Loki had hit him with his outer space ninja knife throwing skills.

I really have to ask him to show me what else he can do. I could maybe even learn a few moves from him. Could I learn magic as well? That would be so cool! Harry Potter style! Or maybe more Lord of the Rings style? What type of magic actually exists? How many types are there? There’s sooo many questions I just have to ask Loki. And Mr. Stark. Can he mix magic with fighting styles? Is there non lethal things I could learn? He had to be gazillion of years old! How many martial arts did he know? Oh man, I’m gonna bug him like crazy once he wakes up! But first, I should finish writing this. I have to explain how I saved them! Now back to the mission!

So the pulse only slightly pushed me back and movement from behind the Reactor caught my attention. Mr. Stark was making signs that I should trap Electro right over the Reactor once they were done carrying Loki and Clint over to the elevator. I have to admit he looked kinda funny doing all those signs.

Anyway, since I had been pushed away, I was not bounded by the lazo thing anymore. I used that to my advantage to gain ground again. After that, I started crawling up the Reactor and said "I would tell you to come fight me like a real man, but... I don't think you can even be considered a man at this point, plus... I'm fighting like a spider." That was super cool. You should’ve seen his face! It was bright, literary _bright_ red! But then he kinda calmed down and went all boring.

"You're right... I'm no longer a man... I am beyond that. I will control everything! I will be like a god!" Was what the totally-not-godly not-god said as he rose from the floor and floated in the air. Very edgy looking, with energy pulsing from his hands, probably having a little narcissistic 'Look at me, I’m so godly and powerful, worship me' moment. Oh, I remember thinking _That's it, take the bait…_ as I crawled up as fast as I could.

And then when I reached the top of the reactor, I looked down at Electro, tilting my head a bit, and asked "A god named 'Sparkles'...? That doesn't sound very godly, now does it?..." oh man did that caused a reaction!

"I AM ELECTRO!!" Yelled Mr. Angry as he sent a bolt of energy towards my head, Palpatine style. I obviously dodged the attack and said.

"On behalf of all the fine people of New York and real gods...or, well, more like demi-gods? everywhere, I ask you to end this tantrum of yours right now and face me like a man!” Cool, right? Electro didn't think so and he, predictably, launched with the intention to knock me off the Reactor with a growl. Before he could even connect though, a pulse of energy came out of the Reactor itself. It made the vail man stop and absorb the energy. I looked down and saw Mr. Stark had sent the energy and was now looking up at us. The pulse thing seemed to have revitalize Electro and kinda disorient him at the same time. Energy seemed to be like a drug for him and he had just been hit by the biggest high he had probably felt and he desperately needed more. He just landed on the middle of Reactor and spread his hands Titanic like to collect the energy.

And that’s when things got really cool. Mr. Stark yelled "Kid, _NOW_!!" from down below and I responded with.

"You got it, Mr. Stark!" as I used up all the web I had left on those modified shooters Mr. Stark had updated for me to trap Electro over the reactor. He didn't even notice he was trapped! He just stayed there! But from there things got a bit complicated. As soon as I finished trapping my prey, Mr. Stark instructed me then with.

"Get to the elevator and go up!” I did as he instructed and watched my idol as he flipped everything on and had only the last button to press, but it seemed he didn't want to press it, at least until everyone else got to safety. But what would he do? He couldn't just stay there, right? the Blast would’ve hit him!

"What are you waiting for? Hit the damn button, Kid!!" He demanded with his hand over his own big red button. But I couldn't let that happen. So I said.

"Mr. Stark, please trade places with me! I have a higher chance of making it out in time!" Cause I couldn't let my lifelong idol die because of my mistake! If I’d only shut up and not mentioned the Reactor when Electro was talking about ultimate power sources, this whole thing could’ve been avoided! Well… maybe it was fate though, cause if this hadn't happened, the light show wouldn't have happened… anyway, it had still been my fault, I should’ve been the one pressing the button and running for my life. Mr. Stark though, stubbornly said.

"Just go! My tower! My Reactor! My responsibility! _GO_!" But I still couldn’t accept that! but before I could even say anything else, the ‘ _great_ ’ Captain America pressed the button and the doors to the elevator began to close. I honestly had never felt more betrayed and disappointed in my life than in that moment there. Another of my idols, again, ‘ _The Great Captain America_ ’, had just doomed my hero to death. I was soooo mad back then… but I snapped out of my momentary fury to react. I yelled.

"No! Mr. Stark!" and as the world slowed around me, I remembered that I still had my old, _still-functioning_ , web shooters in my pocket. I took it out and shot the engineer with it and pulled him back into the elevators. As soon as I confirmed he would make it. I shot a ball of web at the big red button, pressing it. Right before the doors closed in front of us and the blast hit us, Mr. Stark crashed into the back of the elevator. Right after, the whole building shook affected by the blast.

"Last time I checked... I did not build the Reactor to blow villains up... ow.." said my idol as he rubbed his head where it had collided with the wall. It was one of the best days of my life… until I looked at Mr. Stark and Loki… oh boy, was that huge mess…

* * *

 

“Urg… J. Turn on the backup generators and call Bruce and the med staff!” Instructed the engineer as he unsteadily sat in front of the god who rested his weight on the elevator’s wall. “Hey sunshine, stay with me.”

“ _Already on it, Sir_.” indicated the AI.

“I... do not see how... I could possibly g-go anywhere in m...my current condition, Stark…” tried to joke Lokes. He could barely drag the words out from his lungs.

“Sarcasm, sarcasm is good. Sarcasm means consciousness, right?” Tried to reason Peter. He'd taken his mask off and was looking pale. Tony was not convinced at all by that reason. When he used sarcasm, it normally meant that he was trying to hide how bad the situation really was. Seeing how alike they were, he was willing to bet that it was the same case for Loki. He looked at the arrow stuck on the mage’s leg and saw as tendrils of green mist began to wrap around it.

“Whoa, hey, stop that! You don't have enough voodoo for that! Wait for Bruce!” Desperately asked Tony as he saw the last shades of color leave the alien’s face.

“I.. arg! I can… I can not… My seiðr... I can not control it… acting on its on… A-Anthony...” tried to explain the mage as he slid with a gasp from his position, contorting with pain. Tony catched him from behind and held his shoulders as he shook. He had not idea what he could do but the engineer looked pleadingly at the captain, desperate for any help at this point. Steve seemed to understand and tried to carefully approach them but immediately the god retaliated. He trashed against the inventor and clung to the hands holding him.

“Loki please, I won't hurt you, we should try to see how bad the wound is.” tried to reason the captain to no avail.

“On… only An… Only Tony…” barely said the prince right before losing consciousness. He sagged into the engineers arms.

“Lokes?? Loki! Stay with me!!” Agonizingly said the human. He couldn’t lose someone else, especially not him. He couldn’t lose Loki. He couldn't…

“Tony!” Yelled the miraculous voice of Bruce. Everything from that point was a blurr. He remembered Bruce checking on Loki, Clint and him. How they carried Loki and Clint to the gurneys. He remembered following them to the elevator that lead to the Med Bay and how they laid both the mage and the archer on side by side beds. How they pulled the arrow and painful screams from Loki's body. How they tried to take out the shrapnel but the god kept bleeding and his magic kept interfering. How it kept trying to close the wound before they could clean it and disinfect it. He remembered Pepper showing up at some point and hugging him and how she tried to tell him everything would be alright. Telling him how they would save Loki and how she was so sorry for having started this whole mess. He remembered when he had to sit(more like fell) on the floor when they told him the arrow had been laced with poison. How they managed to neutralize it but it had already caused internal damage. He vaguely remembered hearing how the archer had some shrapnel from the exploded auditory device stuck near some sensitive brain tissue. How that could cause some serious neurological damage, but none of it matter if he lost Loki.

Hour passed by and Tony couldn't figure out how or when had Loki become so important to him, but he somehow had. He meant something fundamental. He couldn't tell yet exactly what that something was but it was something deep and he couldn't afford to lose it now. He couldn't… he couldn't lose him. Not _him_. Not _now_. He couldn't lose him, not _ever_. He couldn't… No… No, not now… he couldn't panic now. Loki needed him. He could _not_ lose him…

“Stop! You can't do that!” Yelled one of the medics. Tony looked up to see the impossible. Loki had somehow stood up and was barely leaning on his good leg and Clint’s bed. He'd reopened his wound and was bleeding, holding his hand over Clint’s head. Tony quickly rose and rushed over. He couldn't comprehend at all what the god was even thinking!

“Loki! Stop! What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” Demanded to know the billionaire as he pushed away the medics that were trying to touch Loki. He grabbed his shoulders to steady him. He didn't push him back to his bed, knowing well that trying to force him to do anything was not a good idea. Not only cause it could’ve affected his already unstable mental state. But because it could’ve also cause him more physical damage.

“I… I have… I have to try… ple… please le…let me try…” desperately said the god as his hand began to glow with light. Tony supported him, stunned as he saw the magic unfold right before him. In what must have been mere seconds, the shrapnel had left the archer’s ear and the damaged tissue had been restored. He saw as the little metal pieces flew from his ear to the work table and the blood fly to the basin with the towel they had been using to clean the area. As soon as the light stopped glowing, the mage collapsed and the spy gasped awake. Clint frantically looked around and his eyes fell on the would-be king laying on Tony’s arms and stared for a few moments.

“What the hell happened??...” Asked the archer right before light exploded from the unconscious alien. It was incredibly bright, golden and blinding. Different from the light Tony had just seen Loki use and definitely much stronger. Tony had an uncomfortable idea who it was from and it boiled his blood. _Are you fucking_ _kidding me?? **Now?!**_

When the light dimmed, everyone looked down to see the unconscious prince laying on the inventor’s arms. He was dressed in his full battle regalia, with no scars or blood left on him. Color had returned to his features and a few healthy pounds filled his body. Some muscle definition was even noticeable. Tony thought he looked far better than he had ever seen him. He looked like a proper royal. Like the rightful ruler of a whole planet. He looked hotter than ever and Tony was not even ashamed to admit it. _This_ is how he should always look, healthy, peaceful and drop dead gorgeous.

Silence was all that could be heard in the room as everyone else tried to comprehend what’d just happened. Tony was almost sure he knew the answer, but he still had to make sure the mage was alright. He felt his anger boil inside him. He wanted to seriously blast a certain god in the face with all of his reactor’s power. Yet at the same time, a sort of excitement raced up his spine. He could not wait to see Loki when he woke up. Oh how much trouble they could get into together now. How much fun they could have.

Silence was still prominent around them as thoughts swirled around in Tony's head. It was only interrupted by Spider-Man, who'd put his mask back on, Tony didn't remember when. He loudly said how cool that 'light show' had looked and everyone glared at him to shut him up. Later, Tony would really have to somehow thank that kid. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, a billions thanks, kisses and hugs to my lovely Queen Lexy for role playing and helping me with the Spidey scenes! Couldn't have written this without you love! 
> 
> As for the next chap, I have most of it so I'll try to see if I can post it next Sunday or the one afterwards. Just hoping I have enough signal to do so.


	27. Sensing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's the next one! Wrote this one during the first week after the hurricane. It's quite an intense one.
> 
> Also, wow, I hadn't noticed but it's already been a year since I started this fanfic! Can believe we're still here! And we're almost halfway through!

Loki woke up with his senses overwhelmed. He dared not open his eyes to feed his mind with even more information he was unable to process. He was completely and utterly disoriented. Quite an uncomfortable feeling, really.

A voice was speaking in the background and he heard as it abruptly stopped. Sounds he had gotten used to. But now he could also hear the cosmic resonance all around him, the clash between the astral world and the physical one. He could not only feel the soft fabrics of the bed he laid upon, but also the pull to all the dimensional pockets he had built over the millennia. He could smell the strong scent he had become familiar with of cologne mixed with grease and sex, just as well as he could smell the scent of the different types of energies that circled the room. He could feel his own seiðr and wards flare up as unwanted approaches were deflected. It brought him serenity to know he was again protected by them, specially when he was in such a disoriented state. That feeling of false safety led him to make a grave mistake. Thinking that nothing could get past his wards, he dropped his guard for a fraction of a second. And a second was all it took for a hand to come down and hold his own. Someone had gotten passed his wards.

The contact sent a jolt of fresh energy straight through his spine. It made him moan in a mixture of pain and pleasure. Everything about him was hypersensitive. It hurt to have that many senses bombarded with information. Yet it also felt good to have back all that had been taken away from him. To suddenly be able to _see_ the world again, as he had always been able to, sent wave after wave of pleasure alongside the pain over all his body. He gasped and slightly arched his body off the bed as the waves passed.

Once most of it was over, he was still a little out of air. He decided to risk it and slowly opened his eyes and was presented with the image of a blushing, breathless Anthony.

“I-Is that how you normally feel the universe? Cause _damn_ … that was the best rush I’ve ever felt in m-my life, and I’ve tried all types of things… shit, we should really keep this mental link thing going on. I _have_ to see more of that.” Tried to joke the weaponsmith. It surprises Loki to even see him standing, let alone coherently speaking. If what he says was true, and Loki had just accidentally shared with him that overload of sensations… he should at the very least be unconscious, if not permanently mentally damaged. No mortal should be sane or conscious after being fed with that much information. Loki knew the mortal was remarkable, but this was beyond anything he had ever seen before. The mortal would never ceased to amaze him. Could he be capable of learning magic?

“Y-you okay there, Lokes? You looking a bit awe struck. I know I'm impressive bu-” began to say the insufferable mortal but Loki promptly shut him up.

If anyone were to ask him, he would not be able to answer why he did it. It had been on impulse. Maybe a side effect of his fried senses. Or maybe something more… His body simply moved on its own. He sat up and next thing he knew he was kissing the mortal. And not just a peck, but a proper meeting of lips. It served to shut the mortal up, even if not in the intended way. As soon as Loki realized what he was doing, he backed away and spoke as if nothing had happened.

“Spare me your senseless ramble, Stark, and tell me what happened. I see my magic has returned, but I remember not how that happened.” Said the god, trying to mask his confusion. Had Anthony not done something similar before?

“Ahh… well…” tried to speak the human but his already feverish features got redder. Words seemed to not want to leave his mouth. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to get back in control of himself. He opened his mouth again and this time, the words came to him. “y-you saved Clint, that’s how… you’d lost a lot of blood and the arrow was laced with poison so you were probably gonna… anyway, you somehow stood up and walked over to Clint’s bed and magiced the shrapnel out of his ear and saved him. It was pretty heroic, and stupid. Typical hero Thursday. And I guess daddy dearest was pleased with it and gave you your mojo back… can't believe that’s what it took to please him…. what if you hadn't been able to get up? Or if I’d stopped you? You could’ve… I.. I can't… I swear if I ever meet the Old-farter, I’ll _smack_ some sense into tha… Ah… sorry…” Loki did not like hearing him angry… it made him nervous. He was aware that the anger was not directed towards himself but it still made him uneasy. Anthony seemed to noticed.

“It… It is alright… how long have I been unconscious?” Asked the mage, quickly changing the topic.

“Like seven hours. It's 1:34am.” Seven hours? The mortal had spent seven hours taking care of him? He searched his sense and wards and was shocked to confirm it _was_ true. The human had barely left the room. He looked around and could see on the bedside table a basin and a cloth, confirming he had also been cleansed.

“You stayed by me all that time?... and bathed me?...” asked the mage. He just could not process any of this. It was one thing to care for his well being and it was another to actually be the one to do the work.

“What else was I supposed to do? I couldn't just leave you to wake up alone. And yeah, you were building up a sweat. Leather is sexy, but not on sweaty unconscious Alien Gods... so I changed your clothes. Don't worry, nothing to be ashamed off. You got quite the body.” Said the engineer with a wink. His soft tone and nonchalant manner made the prince chuckle in amusement. This mortal simply refused to let Loki understand him. He looked at the smile on the surprisingly soft lips he had just kissed and couldn't find a reason not to try it again. Yet this time, he refrained himself. The avenger looked tired. His already hectic sleeping schedule was cut even shorter since the assassins had arrived. He needed to sleep, not to waste time in worrying for Loki.

“You should rest.” Said the mage as he gently squeezed the hand he hadn't realized he was still holding.

“I'm fine. You’re the one we should worry about.” Said the inventor, trying to wave off the concern, but Loki would not have it.

“Stark…” He knew how careless he was. He could go for days without sleep and food. He had heard from Dr. Banner how they had had to bring the human to the Medical Bay a few times because he had passed out from overworking himself. 

“I have to take care of some things. Plus you're the one who passed out, not me.” Tried to argue the stubborn smith.

“Anthony…” he would not allow it. He would protect this mortal, even if that meant from himself. He lifted his hand and made a lifting gesture and the body of Anthony lifted up in the air with a yelp. He twisted his hand and pointed towards the bed. His body slowly descended on the mattress right next to him.

“Wow, okay, that’s new. That’s quite the step up from leviosa-ing a plate.” Said the mortal with a laugh. Loki enjoyed seeing amusement fill the eyes of Anthony whenever he used magic. Most Aesir would have been outraged if Loki had tried that with them.

“You shall sleep now. No more arguments.” Said the prince with a firm voice. He knew Anthony would not take it as a command. He would see it as the light hearted jest that it was.

“Haha, your wish is my command, my _prince_.” Responded Anthony, filling Loki with warmth. He then used that warmth to send a small charm over both of them to help them fall to the realm of sleep easier. He did not count, thought, that they would share yet another dream. Or that it would be a night terror...

\----

Tony wasn't sure of where he was. He was sure he’d never been here before but he couldn't tell at all where _here_ even was. He stood in long dark stone corridor. The humidity in the air was making him sweat uncomfortably and he could smell the fungus and putridity built up all around him. This placed hadn't seen soap or daylight in thousands of years. Tony felt a deep fear settle in his gut for this place. He wasn't sure why and he was almost sure it wasn't his own.

He started to walk down the impossibly illuminated corridor. There were no lightbulbs or torches or anything, yet somehow he could see where he was going. After long minutes of walking he began to see large rooms on the walls. They had some sort of glimmering golden shield that let you see inside. They looked like… giant fish tanks… or prisons…

He passed a few dozen empty ones before he reached the end of the corridor. There, he found two large doors, one slightly ajar. From the opening came more golden light. A sense of dread washed over him at the sight of it. He knew something horrible laid behind it. But, again, the fear felt distant. Like it was not quite his own. Like it was… shared. It took him a while but he finally understood where he was. Fear wanted to make him run away from this place but he decided to ignore it. Where he felt most fear, was probably where he would find him. With that in thought, he went on.

He put all his weight against the large door and pushed it open. Inside was a pool, the size of a large car. The liquid glowed golden and boiled. Tony originally thought it was melted gold, but it wasn't. It was too liquified. Some sort of magical golden liquid then. Why would someone have a pool of golden water? He frustratingly knew why… He stepped into the room and was surprised that it wasn't as hot as it should’ve been. Probably magically protected from it… for those outside the pit, that is…

He walked around the pool and saw four identical chains that stretched from the ceiling all the way down into the pool. Something was being held inside… _Someone…_

Almost in answer, something pulled at the chains and trashed. The surface broke and a body emerged from its depths, trying to keep afloat. The chains were not long enough to drown him, but not high enough to provide support so he could breath. And the more he trashed, the more it seemed the liquid boiled. 

It took Tony a moment to react. He couldn't believe or process what he was seeing. He instinctively searched for a way to pull him out without having to get close to the chains. They would obviously burn his hands. He found what looked like a panel and quickly started to fiddle with it. He didn't get what it said but soon enough he figured that the five holes in the surface where meant for fingers and that the thing rotated. He rotated it clockwise and the chains magically lifted right through the roof. Slowly, the body began to leave the golden liquid and simply hanged limp from the chains, twitching from time to time. 

As the magical liquid rolled off, Tony was not surprised to see that it was Loki. What did surprise him tho’ was the fact that he was blue. It didn't last long but all his skin had been blue for a moment. The engineer couldn't tell if it was part of the magical torture, if it was part of the dream or if it was Loki himself. But it didn't matter, he dismissed it in favor of setting Loki down on the stone bed that had appeared along with a floor over the golden pool. Next to the panel appeared a towel and the inventor took it and ran over to the god.

Tony looked horrified at all the injuries on the body he had taken care of no longer than a few hours ago. It was strange to know you were in a dream, but even stranger to know you were in someone else's memory nightmare. The human took in the sight again and could barely hold back a sob.

Tony could tell this was back when they still hadn't made him mostly mortal. He would be dead already otherwise. There was no way anyone could survive the amount of injuries the god carried… The mage’s body was bruises all over, in every shade possibles. His lips had been sewn shut and they were ripped and bleeding from screaming. He had some sort of lines cut all over his skin as well. They looked like they were for some ritual or tribal. Tony couldn't tell. The lines where red and purple and it was obvious that they had been cut in more than once… onces they had started to cure they had cut them in again… his entire body was also covered in blisters and nasty burns. But worst than anything else was his eyes.

The were bloodshot and intently looking at the mortal. They were full of so many feeling Tony simply couldn't handle. Fear and desperation were the primordial ones. He was terrified beyond anything Tony had seen and was waiting, resigned, for the next punishment. The avenger couldn't even tell if Loki could recognize who he was.

Tony could feel each and every feeling the other felt. He guessed it was part of the sharing a dream thing, but he simply couldn't handle it. He began to softly clean Loki’s body with the heat resistant towel as heavy tears rolled down his cheeks. He took out a pair of tweezers from his pocket and began to cut the stitches from Loki's mouth. He took them out as carefully as he could and when he was done he stood there in silence.

How could anyone _do_ this? How could anyone be so _cruel_?... Tony was in such a state of shock he couldn't even remember to be angry of those who did all of this. In the back of his conscience the anger boiled as hot as the golden liquid had. But right now, he was too concerned for Loki's wellbeing. How could he ever get over this? Could Tony ever hope to fix him? He would not give up trying, but it just seems so… impossible to get back from this… No… He had to put him back together. He had to save him…

“L… Loki.. I'm…” he hadn't known what to say… but before he could even try, Loki began to convulse. And then, the words just rolled out of the human’s mouth.

“Loki, listen to me. Listen to my voice. This is not real. This is a dream… a memory… but it's not _real_. You are on Earth, on _Midgard_. You’re in my tower and you’re sleeping in my room next to me… you are _not_ alone. You are _not_ at their mercy anymore… Y-you got your powers back and you’re gonna use them for _good_ with me. A bit of Mischief here and there, obviously, but you’re gonna do good. You are _not_ what they tell you you are. You are _not_ a monster. You do _not_ deserve any of this punishments. I'm here with you. You are safe...” It took that and more to stop his tremors. As they began to lessen, Loki finally let out all he had been feeling.

Tony wrapped him in the towel, to not burn himself, and held Loki tightly as he cried. The mortal couldn't help but to also silently continue to let his tears roll. He to softly speake to Loki as he promised himself to never let go of him. No matter what happened, Tony would be there for him.

Time progresses differently in dreams. Tony couldn't tell if minutes or hours passed, but after a long while, they began to calm down. They separated only slightly, without letting each other go. Once Tony saw the god again, all his injuries had disappeared. He was back to how he had last seen him. Beautiful and healthy. How he should look. But he knew the god’s mind was still nowhere near as healthy as it should be.

They looked at each other for a long while. Simply reassuring themselves in each other's presence. Then, when they were both ready, Loki got up from the stone and leaned on Tony. A bathrobe appeared in the inventor’s hands and he helped Loki into it. Once he had it on, Loki lead them to a door that had appeared on the far right wall. And just as they’d gotten through the door, they would both get through this, together.

As they passed the door, Tony felt as the world shifted around them. He had to shield his eyes from the bright light. Once he opened them again, he saw they were standing in the middle of a garden. It was huge and beautiful. Tony was a bit taken aback by all of it. He had never been a fan of nature but this place was truly a marvel.

The pond right beside them was unbelievably clear and undisturbed. The trees and bushes bloomed with all sorts of flowers; some which Tony was sure were not from Earth. Warm light cascaded from the gaps between the leaves of the trees.

It was hard for Tony to understand how something so beautiful could even exist in here after what he’d seen. He turned to tell Loki and was taken aback by what he saw. There was a kid standing besides him. He knew it was Loki but he looked so different, aside from the obvious age difference.

The kid looked around the garden in just as much awe as Tony had, probably even more. He had a smile plastered on his half open mouth and his eyes sparkled. As he turned, he grew from a kid to a teen and he still looked happy, but not as awestruck. He looked a bit more worn, like he was already starting to feel bourdens. As he turned again, he aged into a young adult and he wasn't smiling anymore. At least not an honest smile. He still had a happy longing in his eyes for this garden but it was obvious other things occupied his mind already. In his last turn, he finally grew to the age Tony knew. He was worn and the happy longing was replaced by a melancholy.

He could see how it hurt the mage to see this place. To know he wasn't actually there. Tony was lost in his eyes and it took him a moment to register the other changes. He looked down and saw the prince was dressed again. He wore a dark green and black leather tunic. It was similar to the other clothes the avenger had seen on him, but this one didn't have any of the armor. It had a V shaped neckline, endebed with gold with a golden broach holding it together. It perfectly matched the gold droplets that had solidified on his hair. He wore dark green pants with his usual black boots. Over his tunic, he wore a simpler version of his long coat. He looked " _stunning_ …”. Tony only noticed he’d said it out loud when Loki responded him.

“Indeed it is… this garden is tended by my mother. It is the most beautiful garden in all of Asgard. It was also my favorite area to spend my spare time in… the calmness and quietud of this place were excellent to still my nerves and soothe my senses… I would often sit beneath a tree to be surrounded by the scents and sounds of nature.” answered the prince, unaware Tony had meant him, not the garden. Nevertheless he did look away from Lokes to see more of the garden. It was breathtaking. He could definitely imagine Loki as a kid sitting here, cross-legged with a long forgotten book in his lap. He could almost see him with his deep green eyes half-lidded, with a ghost of a smile on his face, simply enjoying the sounds of the rustling leaves.

When the inventor looked back, he saw that Lokes’ gaze lingered more on one particular tree. Tony hadn't noticed it before. It had the largest trunk and its leaves were the most vibrant. Tony felt a sort of pull towards the tree. He let his feet take him too it.

From the tail of his eyes he could see that Loki was now watching him curiously. But he ignored it in favor of exploring the tree. The engineer placed his hand on the trunk and it felt solid. He could almost feel it's old age and life force but some instinct told him there was more to it. He tried to look around it and feel it's surface, but nothing changed. It was still solid and alive. He closed his eyes, placed his forehead against the trunk, unsure of what he was doing, and simply wished for it to reveal itself.

Nothing happened for a few seconds and he was starting to feel dumb. What’d he been thinking? It's just a tree… but it _wasn't_ … he tried again, this time putting more desire into his wish and that’s when it clicked.

He stepped back and a set of double doors, made from the same tree, appeared. They were intricately carved with designs. Designs he recognized as ancient Norse runes and symbols. He could distinguish the snakes for Loki. The mortal was about to asked about the door when he saw the mage’s face and stopped. He looked at Tony shocked and scared. The human was starting to think he wasn't supposed to find the tree. But then the prince’s face shifted to a small fond, truly sincere, smile. It took Tony by surprise. All the words got stuck in his throat.

“You never cease to amaze me, Anthony.” Said the god with a chuckle. He walked forward and opened the doors with magic. “Welcome to my ‘secret lair’, my dear mortal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that was something! The next chapter is such a good one. Loved writing it. I hope to post it next Sunday if the conditions allow it! 
> 
> Also, as always, constructive criticism is always welcomed! Opinions on the story as well! So leave a comment and possibly a kudo and don't forget to subscribe to know as soon as the next chapter comes out!


	28. Day or Night?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaand here it is! I've been waiting for this chap for ages! Tony sees the tree. I loved writing this chapter so I hope you all like it C:

Tony couldn't believe his eyes. They stepped into the tree and a whole room stretched out before them. The tree was bigger on the inside, TARDIS style. Was Loki the Doctor? Tony smiled at the thought as he continued to take in the room. It was grand and circular. Almost shaped like the tree itself, but 10 times as big. To the left side there was a grand fireplace. Where’d the smoke go? He had no idea. Above the fireplaces and all over the walls were shelves filled with books. One section was filled with all sorts of artifacts. There was what seemed like trophies, relics, and all sorts of knick knacks. There were different orbs with what looked like the elements inside. One with fire, one with water, another made of earth and one with winding airs. There were a few more with other things like lightning and what looked like poison.

Close to the fireplace there was a cleopatra style couch with a small table besides it. Obviously meant for reading. On the right side was a larger table, like a desk. It was covered with maps, drawings and designs. But when he looked up, the ceiling was what surprised him the most. It was like seeing a live feed through the branches of the tree. The sun streamed patches of light through the high branches, brightening the room. In the center there was a small clearing where he could see the sky and clouds as they passed by. At one point, a small bird even sat on one of the branches and cleaned it's feathers. It was one of the most beautiful things Tony had ever seen. He could imagine how even better it would look at night with the stars and moon.

In answer, the ceiling shifted and night took over. The full moon shone right through the clearing in the leaves and the stars seems like Christmas lights on the branches. The small bird was replaced by a marginally larger raven that stared at the moon. It was breathtaking. “Much better…” Tony said mostly to himself. He’s always been more of night owl.

“You prefer the moon over the sun? A raven over a sparrow?” Asked Lokes. Tony couldn’t see how that was so hard to believe.

“I always work better at night. The sun’s too bright for me.” Said the engineer, only half joking.

“But at night everything is dark and dangerous…” said the mage… almost like it was something really bad. He meant more than just the night, didn't he?

“The best things happen in the dark, sweetcheeks. And I dance with danger on a daily basis. Besides, the stars and moon wouldn't be able to shine if it wasn't for the dark.” Said the inventor, feeling like he was rambling poetry or something. But it looked like it mattered to the prince, so he went on anyway. “I prefer the moon over the sun any day.”

“I… I see…” said the mage, taking it into deep consideration. Tony continued to look at the scrolls on the table and found beautiful drawings of landscapes, animals and abstract things he couldn't decipher. Some even looked like they were 3D. Some actually moved minutely. Harry Potter much?

“So… tell me about this place. Tell me about you _‘secret evil lair’_.” Prompted the mortal. This place was astonishing. Everything in it looked handcrafted. It had to have a good story behind it.

“Yes… well… I started to make this place when I was a child. I would often visit this gardens and sit by the roots of the tree. Yet one day I found it had been plagued by a decease. I tried to save it, but I had found the infection too late. I cleared the dead wood from inside and kept the shell intact with magic. I would hide in it's empty trunk whenever I needed to be alone or to simply hide from my brother when I pulled a prank on him.” Said the mage with a chuckle. Tony was mesmerized by his voice.

“As I grew, I learned of dimensional magic and made it much larger on the inside and added many of the things you see. Throughout all my life, I kept adding more and more to it and made it my ‘safe haven’ if you will. This were my true rooms. The ones in the palace where too impersonal, for I had to keep up appearances. I designed them as everyone expected me to. But here? Here I could do anything I pleased. I guess, in a way, just as your workshop is a physical representation of your soul. This place, would be the representation of mine… this has been my most well kept secret, no one else has ever known of this place…” explained the god as he ran his fingers over the fire orb and it glew with more intensity.

“And… you’re willing to show it to me…?” said, or asked? the human, not quite sure what to say to that explanation. He couldn't believe he was the first person to see this place… had it been by accident that he found it? Loki couldn't trust him that much yet… could he?

“Hm… yes. Sadly this is just a memory. I have managed to reconstruct it as best as I can here. But nevertheless the real place feels much more…well, _real_.” Said the prince, confirming that he had wanted to show him this place. Tony felt… honored and a warm feeling rested on his chest. He couldn't tell what it meant but didn't want it to go anywhere either. This was something big for the god and he was entrusting it to the mortal… Tony didn't feel like he deserved the honor.

“Come now, this is just the living room. There is much more to see.” Loki was willing to show him more? And there was even _more_ to this place than this?? Tony followed, dumbfounded by everything.

They passed through a door at the end of the room and stepped into a curved hallway. Loki showed him the armory, where he kept all his weapons. He explained how he could summon any one of them to himself if he wanted to in battle. He showed him the forge where he would make his own daggers and blades from time to time. He showed him the observatory, the library and the magic studio, where he practiced and perfected his new spells. He showed him the infirmary and the potion room. He explained how he hadn't been here since they day of Thor’s coronation.

Tony noticed that the rooms were designed inward in a spiral going down. Just how big was this place?? They finally reached a small room whose door suddenly appeared once Loki had done a hand gesture. The room had the same ceiling magic but this one seemed to be from a higher view and he could see more stars. He looked around and found that the left wall was lined with shelves with all sorts of artifacts. On the right, carved into the wall so that the long side was inward, was a large bed. Large enough for three people. It was covered it many different dark pelts. Tony didn't doubt that Loki had hunted them himself. Beside the mattress and pelts, there was a small areas like a bedside table all along the bed. The rest of the wall was covered in bookshelves. Those there seemed like the oldest and most used. Probably the god’s favorites. Decorated around them were many carvings of snakes, horses, wolves and trees. Inside the walls of the bed were more books but Tony was having a hard time focusing on them. Maybe they were shielded with some magic or something.

“This room in particular moves along the tree. It does not have a fixed point. It may appear wherever I need it too. It is my personal chambers. Where I keep my most important possessions.” Said Lokes as he put away a book on one of the shelves.

“So you can just call your room to you? Now that sure’s handy.” Said the curious engineer with a laugh. He seriously had to make this guy teach him about dimensional magic and all that. But this was his room… Tony felt kind of intrusive being here. They were technically sleeping in his room right now but Tony had never really felt at ‘home’ in his room. His home was his workshop. But he’d already shown that to Lokes…

“Yes, quite so. I found it inappropriate to simply have something fixed.” Answered the mage with a chuckle. This was important… far more important than anything else.

“Lokes?” Asked Tony. He needed to say it… but how? He had never been good with expressing feelings.

“Yes?” Asked the god, without looking back at the mortal.

“Thanks…” said the inventor in a low voice. But it wasn't enough. He had to say more.

“For?” Asked the alien, still not looking back as he traced a carving of tree on the wall. Not enough.

“For showing me all this…” said the avenger, not quite sure how to really convey all he was feeling. But he had to. It was important. For both of them.

“Hm…” was Loki’s simple answer. He wasn't even really paying attention to the human. No, not enough. _Stop trying to think, Stark. Act._

“Loki?” Asked the inventor once again. He used his name to capture the immortal's attention. That always worked. _Well, now or never._

“Yes?” Asked the mage, exasperatedly amused, as he turned to look at Tony. But Tony was now standing right beside him. The mortal gently cupped the god’s cheek and brought their mouths together. It was a soft kiss, but the engineer tried to pour in as much of his feelings as he could into it. Words would never work enough for them. They both knew too well how to manipulate them and how to lie. Actions would always speak louder than words for them. 

Loki at first tensed, but immediately he began to relax and kiss him back in earnest. They parted only long enough to check that they were both okay with this. When they found each other’s eyes, they closed the distance again.

Loki placed one of his hands on the mortal’s neck to tilt him up further, and the other one on his waist, to bring their bodies closer. He backed them both towards the bed and carefully brought them down. The engineer sat on it and carefully scooted back. He made sure he didn't break the kiss, as Loki followed him, kneeling on the bed. Tony hadn't intended to deepen the kiss, he only intended to convey his feelings in a more physical manner since words were not working in his favor at the moment. He intended something simple and slow, to not startle the alien. He didn't want to scare him or do anything he wasn't okay with.

Considering that, it surprised him greatly to feel the mage’s tentative tongue slip under his lip, carefully asking for enterance. He seemed almost scared to ask. But Tony happily gave him access. He was willing to give as much as Loki asked for. The prince’s skillful tongue wrapped around Tony’s, making him hum in pleasure. Tony was definitely okay with giving as much back.

Loki lips had been soft and slightly cold, but his silver tongue was warm and curious. It was a contrasting feeling that had Tony wanting for more of it. He was getting addicted to the taste of him. He tangled his hand in Loki’s hair and slipped back. He laid down the rest of the way, pulling the god along with him. He laid flat on the bed with a gorgeous alien prince on top of him. Tony was surprised to feel how well they fitted together. There was almost a familiarity when their bodies were pressed together.

They continued to passionately explore each other's mouths as their hands began to roam. Tony ran his fingers through the god’s curls as Loki gently stroked the mortal’s cheek, tracing his beard. Their other free hands found and held each other.

Tony reluctantly broke their kiss and gasped for air. He looked at Loki and was marveled by how beautiful he looked. His hair framed his feverish face and his swollen lips were slightly parted to suck in the much needed air. His pupils were slightly larger than usual and they intently looked at the human.

They simply started at each other as they got their breathing back to normal. Once they could speak again, Loki placed his forehead against the mortal’s and closed his eyes. “We… we should wake up soon, Anthony...” He said. Whenever the god used his full name, it sent a tingle up Tony’s spine. He liked to hear it on the god’s tone. But now, when he was half breathless, it sounded even better.

Tony pulled the god down again and retook his mouth, hungrily chasing that silver tongue. He gasped in surprise when the god rolled his hips downwards in response, clearly showing he was enjoying this as much as the mortal. They pressed their foreheads together, breathless again, and gazed into each other's eyes. The mage was right.

“Y..Yeah… we should wake up...” was all that Tony managed. He didn't want to get out of here. But he knew this was only a dream. One day tho’, they would come here. Physically. Tony would make sure of that. And they would also continue what they started here. But that might come sooner if Loki was okay with it.

Tony wrapped his hands around Loki’s waist and pulled him up, causing friction between them. The move caused the god to gasp and groan. Tony acted as if nothing had happened and slyly asked with a grin. “How do we wake up from here?”

Loki looked at the incredulous mortal like he couldn't believe how he hadn't smitten him yet and answered “...Just close your eyes and I will take us back.” Pleased, Tony did as he asked and before falling asleep(or falling awake?) he felt Loki kiss him one last time. It was slow and delicate, leaving Tony wanting for so much more.

\-----

“Hey...” said Tony. He was still groggy but he noticed they were now holding hands and much closer. He didn't mind at all.

“Hi” said Lokes with a smile. It was so nice to see him genuinely smile. It looked good on him.

“We slept together.” Said the inventor, wiggling his eyebrows playfully.

“We did.” Answered the mage as mischief danced in his eyes. He brought their foreheads to rest against each other again, like they had in the dream.

“That’ll cause quite the scandal.” Joked the avenger as he rubbed his foot against the mage’s calf.

“Only if they find out.” Responded the prince, bumping their noses.

“I'm pretty sure I just heard the door creak.” Said Tony with a laugh, only half worried.

“Then let them fantasies what they will.” Answered Lokes, scooting even closer to the billionaire.

“You don't mind?” Asked Tony hopefully. He didn't mind at all but he didn't want to make the recovering alien uncomfortable.

“Quite the contrary.” Answered Lokes with a grin as he tangled their feet together. Man that smile was contagious. And those legs… wait… he’s half naked under those sheets...

“ _Oh_..” was all that Tony was able to say. Thousands of possibilities running through his mind.

“ _Oh_ indeed.” Said the god playfully. They both stayed silent for a while, probably thinking about what they had just gone through. Tony was still conflicted about what he felt. To be shown something like that… to be trusted… Tony didn't know if he deserved any of it. He tended to break relationships. He always ended hurting those closest to him. He was thoughtless and reckless… could he be trusted to fix Loki?

Tony was lost in his thoughts when Loki softly squeezed his hand. He focused again on those swirling green pools and read their clear message. They would get through this. They lost themselves in each other's eyes for what felt like hours, just taking it all in, when suddenly Loki sneezed.

He scared Tony so badly that the poor mortal fell off the bed, tangled in the sheets, with his ass up in the air. “Oh fuc-! Ow!”

Before Tony even realized what’d happened, the door burst open and Steve stormed in. He looked around the room and when his eyes fell on them, his entire face reddened. Loki was half naked in the bed and Tony was tangled in the sheets. It probably didn't look good. Bruce, the traitor, was right behind the cap laughing and from the corner of the door, Tony could see the spies were there as well. The whole gang was here, great.

“Ev...everything okay?...” cap blurred out, red faced.

“Eavesdroppers...” muttered Tony as he tried to untangle himself from the sheets. He only managed to tangle himself more. While he loudly cursed, that’s when he heard it. The most amazing sound he had ever heard. He was thankful that J.A.R.V.I.S. was always recording because he would save that sound forever. Loki let out a full, belly clenching, laugh. It was completely pure and unadulterated. Tony could almost see again the small kid he had seen in the dream. Sitting by the tree, amazed by all he saw, laughing, happy. Tony made it his personal, top priority mission to cause that sound over and over again. If he had to fall on his ass for it, then so be it. Because Tony fell in love with that sound... And _maybe..._ even with that man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *sweats* quite the chapter! Loved writing it! I loved building a world of my own for Loki. 
> 
> Kudos, comments and constructive criticism is alway apreciated! Be sure to subscribe to know when the next chapter comes out!


	29. Gutting or no Gutting?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're back! And so is the power and water at home! Finally, things are starting to get back to normal after the hurricane.  
> Here's the chapter, hope you like it xD

How he ended up with a 5’2” Puerto Rican in his tower… Tony couldn't even begin to understand… how had this become his life now?

Their day had started off pretty well. After he and Loki had shared a few… _intense_ moments in their linked dream... Loki had entrusted him with important memories and with knowledge of his most sacred place. His safe haven. He still didn't feel like he should be trusted with such precious information, but he would do his best to manage it well. After that, they’d shared a more, well, _physical_ moment(or was it metaphysical?) that Tony wouldn’t be forgetting anytime soon. They had both affirmed a few things and Tony wondered how much more would they in the future.

They’d slept next to each other for like 5 hours. Far more time than they’d both slept since the god arrived at his tower. The engineer had actually felt rested after it. He half suspected there had been some magic involved there. But even as he relaxed, the inventor never lowered his guard. Too much was at risk for that. Both spies still lingered in his tower. But even with that, whatever Lokes had done, had made some tension leave his body. They’d softly woken up afterward and simply enjoyed each other’s presence.

Then Lokes went and scared the living shit out of him. He’d sneezed on his face and made him fall off the bed with his ass up in the air. He’d been terrified for a fraction of a second but then he was awarded the most beautiful sound he had ever heard. He’d fallen in love with that rich sound. He’d struggled with the sheets until he finally managed to untangle himself from them; with a bit of help from Loki actually, after he was done laughing that is. And after what they’d shared, he felt like he knew Loki better now. There was still eons worth of knowledge he didn't know but it was a good step for them. They would get there in time. Was he already planning a future with the god? Jeez, he was getting sappy... Anyway.

Bruce, the angel, had made blueberry waffles for everyone. The good ol’ doctor had learned how to cook like a pro after traveling so much. It was mostly to hide from the military and S.H.I.E.L.D. but still. Tony especially loved his curry. And the blueberry waffles? Heavenly. Even the spies showed up and were there eating with them! They knew better than to miss out on Brucie’s cooking. They watched silently as both scientists asked Loki about his powers. Clint stabbed his waffles as Loki had answered that he could feel bits of it back, but not all of it. He said he would have to test a few spells to see if his chakra(he didn't really call it that but whatever) wasn't unbalanced. He explained how it would take time for all of it to actually come back to him. Since he had spent so long without them, it would be difficult to readjust. Tony doubted it would take too long tho’. The god was a seriously fast learner. He had learned how to play every board game Tony brought him with ease. But not only that, he’d actually proven to be a challenge against him once he got the hang of it. He would surely be casting complex spells in no time.

Loki explained that he had most of his weird extra space alien senses back, Tony could testify to that, but not all of his mojo. He said that if it’d all come back at once, he could’ve gone nuclear, blowing up the whole of Manhattan with him. It seemed like the old-farter, because of that, sent only parts of it back. And it also looked like most of it was healing magic. Bruce theorized that the old-jerkwad had planned it so he could use the magic to heal himself but he couldn't hurt anyone else, just in case he was still _‘evil’._ It was meant only so he could restore himself. Tony guessed the tyrant wasn't completely stupid, but he was still a pile of shit of mayor disgusting proportions. After a while of speaking of magic mumbo jumbo, Lokes told them that he also thought he had gotten back a few defensive spells. They would have to check if that was true. Oh, and they’d also agreed to talk about what to do with S.H.I.E.L.D. once they knew the full scope of the situation. 

Tony and Loki headed down to the engineer’s lab first so the mage could try a few things in the testing area. When they’d gotten there, the god had magicked back on his full suit, with horns and everything. It made the avenger remember their first encounter... He remembered flying up and up and then the sudden darkness and the giant dark ship. He remembered the thousands of millions of grey monsters pouring out of it. He remembered the ship main ship exploding. He remembered as time began to blur and the utter silence. He could see the destruction of the missile but couldn't hear anything. He remembered drifting, tumbling, swirling, falling through nothing and nothing and nothing. He remembered thinking about nothing and everything. He remembered... He remembered the soft whisper of the Void. How it called for him to stay. How it said that fate had finally caught up with him. That he was finally getting what he’d deserved. He remembered how it pulled and lured him in. He remembered wanting to give in. To simply let himself be consumed. It was getting harder and harder to breath. He remembered the Void's touch. How cold it had been. He remembered-

“Anthony? Anthony!...” he remembered… Loki… his cape, his horns, his staff… He remembered his… his hair, those lips in a fierce cold snarl, those eyes… those dead blue eyes that glared at him with so much hatred and pain… he remembered being strangled, dangled… he remembered failing, falling, waiting for the ground to swallow him up… he rem-

“Anthony I… pl-please I.... I apologize… please come back to me… the real me… that which you remember was a lie… you are… safe now… safe from… me...” he remembered Loki... apologizing? He… he didn't remember that… the… the real Loki? He… he had green eyes. The real Loki had green eyes full of life and sorrow… the real Loki had… cold lips… He remembered kissing those cold lips… exploring that contrasting warm silver tongue... He remembered trailing his hand down that figure... He remembered their labored breathing as they pressed their foreheads together and stared at each other. He remembered wanting nothing else but to be lost in those green orbs. Com...come back to him? Come back to the real Loki?... H-he could do that… Right… this was the real Loki… this was real… not the image they showed him in Germany. Not the lies Thor fed them, thinking them true as they were his father’s lies… this was Loki, the God of Mischief… the God of Stories, not Lies… this was his Loki… he would always come back to his Loki… 

Tony finally focused back on the real world and looked at the alien that kneeled beside him. The first thing he noticed was that his clothes had changed. The mage was right next to him with his hand holding the back of the mortal’s neck… it was an affectionate move Tony had seen Thor use… but he focused on the fact that the prince wore the clothes he had used in their dream. It was simple, yet elegant and royal. It looked non-threatening and astonishing. He even had the back the beautiful solidified gold droplets stuck to his hair. The only difference was that he wore his helmet. But it was different from the one he had seen before. This one was more of a giant crown. It was a giant metal band wrapped around his head, leaving space for his hair to flow at the top and bottom. It still had the giant horns tho’. The change looked much better on him. It calmed the mortal enough to notice he was now sitting on the floor with his back against the wall. what‘d happened?

“Lokes?... J?” asked the still slightly shaking human. He was covered with a layer of sweat and was unconsciously pushing the god back by the chest. Lokes saw where he was looking and with his free hand, grabbed Tony’s and moved it closer to his heart. The engineer could feel his heartbeat and tried to match his breathing to it.

 _“Sir, you experienced a panic attack. Mr. Skywalker’s previous attire seems to have triggered memories of the New York attack. I suggested him to change into something different and to talk you through it.”_ explained his AI. A panic attack? Now? He shouldn't be having a panic attack now! It was Loki who’d really suffered trauma! He couldn't go panicking on him! And much less _because_ of him! No…. this was a one-time thing… he could control this... Tony would _not_ let that happen again… he… wouldn't…  they had more important things to deal with. His problems were not as important. Once his breathing and heartbeat was back to normal, the inventor spoke again, trying to put confidence in his voice. 

“Apologize? What for? Looking like a Space Alien runway model? Never apologize for those legs, Prancer. Give me a hand.” said the avenger. It was a stupid change of topic that would obviously not go unnoticed…. But thankfully Lokes let it go for the moment and helped him stand. The god didn't say anything, but he couldn't hide well enough how felt. He was obviously hurt by the whole incident… the mortal was furious with himself for ruining their great morning.

They walked silently the rest of the way to the lab. Once there the engineer tried to defuse their awkward tension with asking the mage if he should put on one of his suits so they could spar with each other. Loki had tried to sound like his usual mischievous self and joked that even with his low amount of magic, he definitely should since he didn't want to hurt the ‘poor fragile mortal’. It didn't sound very convincing but Tony was glad that he was trying to give the mortal his space. He was about to bite back with an answer when thunder roared overhead.

The whole building shook as the Bifrost opened in its usual spot. Tony and Loki immediately looked at each other and the mortal recognized the same panic he had just experienced instantly take over the god’s eyes. He was about to teleport away to who knows where. The inventor wasn't about to let him disappear on him and have a panic attack half across the country. Loki had just helped him through a panic attack. How could he not be there for the god when he had a real attack? He sent quick, non-verbal instructions to J.A.R.V.I.S. and activated his bracelet as he grabbed the mage’s arm and closed his eyes. The human felt as his gauntlets and boots assembled around his hands and feet before feeling the gut-wrenching pull as they plummeted into the Void. He remembered pretty fucking well how the alien had said that one look at the Void could drive a mortal mad. Tony had seen enough… He didn't need to see any more of it and go any madder. Loki needed him right now. He couldn't panic now. He couldn’t. He would stay calm for both of them. He would protect them. As they slipped through the fabric of reality, the inventor embraced the mage close to him and covered his frantic eyes.

Loki fully panicked halfway through the jump. He lost track and got them stranded between realities. Tony could feel the Void pressing in on his fragile human body. Last time he had his suit, but now he was exposed. He remembered thinking that if he didn't manage to somehow calm the mage down, they would’ve been stuck there forever. An insane drifting god with a dead mortal stuck to him. But how could’ve Tony helped? There was no air in the Void. You couldn't make any sound there. He couldn't speak to Loki. The human was quickly losing consciousness. He was about to risk opening his eyes when he felt a small hand pull him and Loki out of the Void. They crashed on the floor and Tony felt as the air pushed its way back into his lungs. Had he been in there any longer, he might have died.

He started to cough, his throat burning with the effort as Loki shook violently beside him. Breathless as he was, he sat up and helped the god to rest on his side and he began to gently rub his back to try to calm him down. He was panicking himself but he had to keep calm for the god. Focusing on him helped him keep in control. He didn't speak in case they ended up somewhere they weren't invited. The inventor didn't know if his voice could’ve even worked back then.

As his bloodied vision began to clear, he looked around and up and couldn't process what he saw. He saw…. butts... Hanging from the ceiling... It took his air-deprived brain a few seconds to notice that they were mannequins on plastic rafts. They were in what looked like a bar which’s theme was that they were frogs underwater and could see the humans swimming above them… it was just plain weird and wrong. It was almost like the universe was making fun of them. ‘Your life is shit, here, have a physical representation.’

He looked around more and spotted a girl sitting on top of the bar. She wore a green flannel shirt with a… hey look, a black AC DC tank top... and a pair of black torn jeans. She looked pretty normal except for her fiery red hair. “W… who are… you?... wh..where are we?” Asked Tony, uncomfortable with the way she blankly stared at them. But mostly at Loki… She looked at him like she was dissecting him mentally... He had to get up, but his limbs were too heavy. He had to pro… he had to protect Loki... if this girl figured out who he was, she could alert S.H.I.E.L.D. Tony tried to keep the mage’s face covered with his hair to avoid that. Sadly for them, it looked like she’d already seen some crazy shit in life. She seemed unaffected by the fact that two grown males had just been pooped by the fabric of reality right in front of her… or maybe she was shocked speechless by it… the former seemed more likely from the way she looked at Loki... after some more staring, she finally looked back at him and answered. 

“I’m your worst nightmare….. Nah, kidding. Care to explain why he’s like that before or after I gut you?” Asked or… threatened(??) the girl as she slid down from the bar. He was about to question her but a blur of movement distracted him.

Oh shit, if Tony had blinked, he would have missed the entire scene. He watched it unfold before him in tense silent shock. The god stood, grabbed hold of his helmet, used the horns to wrap around the girl’s leg, making her lose her balance, and slammed her into the ground, pressing his blade to her neck. Tony was torn between feeling impressed by the move, since he’d never considered his helmet could be used like that, and being concerned that the mage had just tackled some random girl! Well, she did just threaten him, but still!

He would’ve acted in her defense but something even more impressive actually managed to happen. She pushed him off! She actually managed to push off the surprisingly heavy god. She took out a small sphere the size of a gumball from a tool bag strapped to her waist and pressed a button on it. It released ropes from it and they wrapped around the mage, forming a large net that couldn't have possibly all fit in that small ball… Unless this girl wasn't a girl after all, and that was some piece of alien tech. Oh… screw helping her then. This was bad. This was _really_  bad if she really was some sort of alien. She could also be from here but something about her did give him the alien vibe. He had to get up… he had to stand but his limbs wouldn't cooperate!  

‘Syrene,’ Lokes called her. Wait… so he knew who she was?? It still didn't make Tony relax just yet. On the contrary, it made him panic more. Loki tended to associate with really dangerous beings after all. It also confirmed she was also not from Earth. But damn, looks can certainly be deceiving... Loki broke the net with the dagger, rolled to the side and stood up. Tony managed to get up as well, but he could barely lift his arms, much less point his repulsors adequately. This could go wrong for them really fast. Tony could reeeally use his full suit right now but the boots and gauntlets would have to do.

  
“Too slow. Out of practice, are we? What’s got you so distracted, My Prince?” Taunted the girl with a grin, delivering the last words while looking at the avenger. So she pretty much confirmed that they knew each other and that she knew the Avengers and who Tony was. Was she Asgardian? Or from one of the other planets? If that was the case, even tho’ she looked like she was in her twenties, she was probably like 40 times older than the mortal…. Tony didn't know how he felt about that. She was old, so what? She knew Lokes, so what? Tony would fight anyone right now. Fighting. He remembered fighting. He missed fighting. He could do that. _They_ could do this.They could kick alien butt and be back for dinner. Neither of them was alone anymore and that’s what matters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *sits back and waits for reactions* well..... let's see how this goes...


	30. Syrene

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeeey Mischievers! Back for more! Time to learn about Syrene~ <3

‘Syrene,’ Lokes called her. Wait… so he knew who she was?? It still didn't make Tony relax just yet. On the contrary, it made him panic more. Loki tended to associate with really dangerous beings after all. It also confirmed she was also not from Earth. But damn, looks can certainly be deceiving... Loki broke the net with the dagger, rolled to the side and stood up. Tony managed to get up as well, but he could barely lift his arms, much less point his repulsors adequately. This could go wrong for them really fast. Tony could reeeally use his full suit right now but the boots and gauntlets would have to do.

  
“Too slow. Out of practice, are we? What’s got you so distracted, My Prince?” Taunted the girl with a grin, delivering the last words while looking at the avenger. So she pretty much confirmed that they knew each other and that she knew the Avengers and who Tony was. Was she Asgardian? Or from one of the other planets? If that was the case, even tho’ she looked like she was in her twenties, she was probably like 40 times older than the mortal…. Tony didn't know how he felt about that. She was old, so what? She knew Lokes, so what? Tony would fight anyone right now. Fighting. He remembered fighting. He missed fighting. He could do that. They could do this.They could kick alien butt and be back for dinner. Neither of them was alone anymore and that’s what matters.

Lokes sighed as he… stored away his dagger?… and sat on one of the butt chairs. It looked hilarious but Tony would laugh about that later. But wait… why is he putting his blade away? Wasn’t she hostile? She looked hostile….

“Rudolph, care to explain?” Asked the engineer. He carefully stepped around the not-girl with his hand raised and Reactor pulsing. He went to stand beside the god but she moved forward, blocking him.

“Rudolph?? Oh, I’m so gutting him now.” She said, obviously offended. Tony was about to fire his repulsor when the mage answered, not even looking at them anymore.

“Sy… no gutting him.” said the mage… exasperated. Almost like he’d had to say this before. Did she usually threaten to gut people? What’s up with this chick? To his response, she quickly stopped and jumped over the bar and began to prepare a drink. A bartender? Why did they land in a bar anyway?

“Why not? He’d make a cute, small, very expensive pelt. Quite a decent addition to my collection.” Okay, Tony didn't like her. It could partially because she was threatening to gut him and add him to some collection, and partially cause she probably knew a lot more about Loki than he did… So no, he didn't like her so far… because of the gutting part, duh… yeah, mainly that… Anyway, he was about to speak his mind when Loki answered.

“No. He is important, Sy…” he answered, making the mortal feel a flutter in his chest at the prince’s words. It confused him endlessly why something so simple made him feel like that. Yet it felt good to know Lokes considered him important. Take that, weird alien chick!

“… fine. But you better elaborate on that cause last time I checked the news, you were fighting the Avengers and trying to enslave Midgard. So what the hel, My Prince? What’ve you been up to lately?” She said as she pointed at the avenger in the room. Well…. she had a point. She came up to the god with a glass and set it in front of him.

 _“Me?_ Sy, you disappeared over 80 years ago! I will have you explain exactly what have _you_ been up to. Why are you here? How did you find me? What began this entire chain of events? Explain everything from the start. Now.” Asked irritated the god as he pushed the glass away. She seemed undisturbed and unfrightened by the request but confused by the God's refusal of the drink. The engineer watched how easily they spoke with each other and felt… uncomfortable with it. They were close. He could tell that much. They’ve known each other for who knows how long… just how much did this chick know of him? How could he compete against that? Compete? Why does he have to compete with a kid? Right… she wasn't a kid...

“Oh that... You can blame a court lady for that...” Said the girl casually as she shrugged and popped open coke she grabbed from a small freezer.

“Again?...” grunted Loki. Did she normally blame court ladies? It's rude to blame a court lady. See? She was rude. She didn't even offer him a drink! Not that he would drink it...

“Hey, I wasn't even trying this time! It all started with this Aesir chick…She was the daughter of an ambassador and she was supposed to marry this sob of a prince. Anyway, so I was up in a tree in the forest, getting supplies for one of my commissions when suddenly this girl walks over to the cliff. She was crying and she was about to take the leap so I jumped down from the branch I was sitting on and pulled her back before she could do anything stupid. Somehow, she decided to take that as consent that she could pour her heart out to me and suddenly started to rant about how sad her life was! I had no idea what to do, so you know me, I flirted, I laughed, I improvised. I was the kind halfling that I am and heard her out.” She explained as she finished her can, crushed it and threw it away.

"Nothing ever ends well when you improvise, Sy..." said the prince with a small smile.

“Now that's just offensive. I improvise masterfully. Anyway so we talked through the night and she told me how she wasn't attracted to the guy she was supposed to marry. She was actually kinda cute once she stopped covering my shirt in snot so I just gave her a few tips, told her a few stories and that was it. I didn't even know who she was! No name or anything. S’not my fault she was restraining herself! When the sun came out, I helped her up, placed a kiss on her hand, sent her on her merry way and went back to the forges." continued her tell the female alien. Tony knew where this was going.

"She canceled the wedding and made a big show of it, didn't she?" Added the avenger, not wanting to be left out in the conversation. The redhead looked over at him like she'd just noticed he was there and laughed. Oh hell no, he was not gonna be ignored here.  

"A 'big show' is understating it by far, sweetie. Next thing I knew, later that day, not only she'd canceled the marriage, she freaking declared herself argr and proud! I didn't even know what to do, Frey was furious with me and the chick’s parents wanted to kill me for supposedly ‘bewitching’ her! They desperately asked Frey to cure her of her ailment and insisted killing me would serve to 'free her mind of my spell'... You know how Aesir are about ergi stuff... Always so hypocritical and close-minded... Frey tried to pacify them but they would only have the ‘cursed halfling’s’ head… They wouldn't listen to me…" said shorty, delivering the last line with a grunt. She was angry and it was quite evident from her whitened knuckles as she clenched her fist. As soon as she noticed what he was doing, she relaxed and went back to talking.

"So... Frey offered me to either be executed or exiled… The Same day I packed my tools and bags and came to Midgard. To this beautiful island named Puerto Rico. ‘Mi Isla del Encanto!’ And I’ve been here ever since.” She finished explaining. Tony didn't know what argr or ergi meant but he could guess it wasn't well taken by those Ass-fairies. The more he learns about them, the more disgusted he felt towards them… How did Thor feel about all of this? Was he also like that?... but wait, did she just says Puerto Rico?!

“Hold up just one sec… we’re in Puerto Rico? How the hell did we end up in Puerto Rico??” Asked the engineer, shocked by the fact that they were about 2,500 kilometers away from New York. Could Loki actually travel that far away or did it have to do with the girl?

“Yes… I would also have you explain that. How did you know to find me?” Asked the mage. A very valid question. Tony wanted to slap himself for not being focused on the right topics. He should be helping Loki deal with this, not just be a dead weight standing around. He stepped forward and stood beside the god. It wasn't much, but he should show where his alliances were. She stared at him like a hawk waiting to hunt him on her master’s orders. It made him uncomfortable so he stood a bit closer to the god. She stared at him a bit more and answered.

“Heard your loud as hel call in the Void and came to My Prince’s rescue. Seriously, you called so loudly it gave me a headache. I then used your seiðr to track you and pulled you out. How come I couldn't find your seiðr before? Last time I located you, you were in Asgard again.” Asked the… did she say halfling? Lord of the Rings type of halfling? What was she anyway?

Lokes ignored her question and asked one of his own. “Cast a spell to hide us from the eyes of Heimdall. Do you have a safe warded place where we could hide?” He could only guess that Lokes was still debating how much to tell her. If what they were saying was true and they hadn't seen each other in 80 years; she probably didn't know about everything that’d happened.

“My place is heavily warded and untraceable. No magic? You running from something?” Answered the redhead as she waved her hands and gold mist came from them. Tony wanted to stay away from it but it quickly covered the whole room… he hoped they hadn't just been poisoned or cursed… His brain might still be a little fuzzy from the oxygen deprivation, but he wouldn't let his guard down around someone he didn't know at all. He took out his phone and messaged J.A.R.V.I.S. He was gonna need a suit.

“Thor…” answered the prince. Loki seemed suspicious enough but there was also longing in his eyes. He wished this was all true… wishing was always dangerous in their situation… They just couldn't afford wish in their position. They could rely only on facts, not feelings.

 “That oaf? What trick have you pulled on your brother now, My Prince?… I do expect more detailed explanations later, My Prince. All this cryptic talk is giving me a headache. But come now, I’ll make a portal to my chambers and we can discuss everything there.” Said the shorty as she walked from behind the bar, and began to trace a circle on the wall that would simply open a freaking hole in the fabric of reality like it was nothing cause fuck physics with this aliens... once she was done, she stepped through, not waiting to check if she was being followed.

“Lokes…” was all Tony said. But it was enough to let the mage know of his concern.

“Anthony… I know I probably do not deserve to ask this of you… not after the pain I caused you earlier... and this probably does not look good… but please, I must ask you to trust in me…” said the mage as he stood from his chair and faced the inventor.

“I'm just worried this might be a trap…” answered the avenger as he retracted his gauntlets and grabbed one of the god’s hands. They both knew well not to trust easily. They both knew too well about betrayal.

“As I fear as well… but if this is not a trap… she is an ally we can not afford to lose…” answered the prince. He was trying hard to mask how much this hurt him. How much he wanted for this to be real. And Tony could get that. He really did… he took a deep breath and decided to give the snotty brat another chance.

“... fine. I don't like her so far tho’. You’ll have to explain to me later who she is…” was the mortal’s answer. He squeezed the prince’s hand reassuringly. He hated the idea of blindly walking into the Void again to a possible trap, but he would be there for Lokes.

“I shall… but for now, please close your eyes, Anthony. And let me guide you through the portal... trust in me…” asked for the fragile alien. He was doing a great job at hiding his fears but he couldn't help the small tremor that shook his body. He needed the support and Tony was more than happy to provide it.

“Already do and always will, Lokes.” Said the human. He lifted his hand and gently pulled the mage down so their foreheads met. He dared not do anything more intimate in fear the redhead could pop up any moment and see them. But it was enough for now. The mortal closed his eyes and felt the god stand beside him. They were now facing the portal. Tony grabbed the prince’s arm and they stepped through.  

* * *

_Loki hated to admit it, but he was lost…_

_The castle Uncle Frey lived in was immensely large. It was not larger than the one in Asgard where he lived, but it had many more corridors and rooms. Mostly everything in Asgard was grand making it hard to forget where everything was. But here? Everything was different and came in all shapes and forms. There were corridors upon corridors that lead to more corridors that lead to rooms and even_ _**more** corridors! He should have remembered that before he went out to take a short walk. He simply wanted to clear his mind, but he had somehow lost his way in his frustration. _

_Why would they not allow him to hunt with the court? They had said it was because he was still young and small, but that answer would not satisfy him. They let Thor go, so why not him? Thor was not much larger than him and he may have been stronger, but Loki was quicker. He could have hunted along them just as easily. Now Thor was to come back with a prey and be would be praised for it as usual._

_Loki rounded another corner and came face to face with a small door. It was around his size. It was not a completely unusual sight considering there were all sorts of rooms in this palace. But this one, in particular, was strange. It lacked the traditional carvings Elves used. It looked plain and was made of metal. Where could this lead to? Curiosity got the better of the young prince and before he knew it, he was walking into the room._

_Inside the ceiling was low. It was still taller than him but much too small for an Elf. There were tables and tools laid all around and he could feel the heat from a large forge. This was some sort of craftsmanship room. Could this be a Dwarven Forge? Loki had seen a Dwarf a few visits past. He had been surprised and his mother had explained to him that there was a few of them working here to build weapons for the palace. The young mage was about to ask if anyone was here when he heard the loud noise of something exploding. He went to inspect what had happened and found what might have been a Dwarf covered in ash._

_“ASS LICKING BUSH-SCREWER!! That should’ve worked!” Cursed the loud Dwarf. Loki made a small coughing sound to get their attention. The Dwarf straightened and stared at the prince. Now that it stood straight, he could see they were a tad tall to be a Dwarf. Almost shared his own height. “Get out.” Was all they said as they turned to fully face him. He could see now how she was female and beardless, very odd for a Dwarf. Wait, get out? Had she really just said that?_

_“Excuse me?” Asked the prince, not sure he had heard her right. How dare she speak to him in that manner?_

_“I said get out. You deaf or something?” Asked the rude Dwarf. Who did she think she was??_

_“Do you know who you speak to?” Asked incredulously the young Aesir._

_“A noble, probably. The way you're dressed gives it away. You also look Aesir but you don't quite feel like one... Anyway, does it look like I care? My workshop, my rules, so since I'm busy, get out.” How could she speak like that knowing that he was a noble? And even more so if he was Aesir?? And what did she mean he did not feel like one?? He would not stand for this insults!_

_“I am Loki Son of Odin, Prince of Asgard! And I will not have you speak this way to me. I must return to my chambers and I will have you take me to them!” Demanded the prince. The more he looked at her, the weirder she looked. She was too tall for a Dwarf but still shorter than an Elf or an Aesir. Her features looked curved but her ears were pointed._

_“Again, does it look like I care? I'm busy and without time. Aesir are useless with forges and magic so since you can't help me and they don't pay me for helping lost children, then I can't help you. Plus I won't be held responsible if my inventions explode again and I get you covered in ash. So out. Now” Loki was furious. Her tone and words were terribly rude. Useless? Him? He would show her! He let out his frustration in magic. He cleared the ash that covered her and her workspace and left it spotless. He gathered all the ash and condensed it into a solid blade right in front of her face. He could now see that her skin was also slightly tanned and her hair was fiery red. He could also see how she grinned at the blade in front of her. She truly was an odd one._

_“Oh, now that’s interesting. An Aesir prince who practices the art of magic? Unheard of. Yet it is about time we hear more of it. Still, you’ve got much to learn, kid.” As she spoke the last line, she touched the point of the dagger and it disappeared. Where could it have gone? But just as quickly as it had disappeared, the young mage felt as the tip of it touched the back of his head. He could obviously not see it, but he knew it was the same blade. Dimensional magic? Loki had not learned about it yet, yet here was a Dwarf, known for their hate of magic, using it. This sure was the strangest being he had ever encountered. She was not only odd but powerful… and dangerous. He made the blade crumble back to ash behind him and stepped forward, away from it._

_“Not as unheard of as a Dwarf using magic. And I will have you respect me, I am capable of much more than just that.” He knew by now that she was far more skilled in magic than he was. She knew it as well. His threat was nothing more than a show to convey his unwillingness to relent. He was still a prince after all. But his words were now more curious than angry. He knew now the dwarf was far more interesting and wanted to learn all he could about her. Curiosity had always been a weakness of his._

_“Are you now? Tell you what, help me finish this and_ _**maybe** I’ll help you get back to your room without anyone noticing you got lost.” She offered. _

_“I am a prince, how dare you not follow my orders?” Asked Loki with a frown. He truly was interested in her answer. Did she not fear being punished for her transgression?_

_“I'm not your typical Dwarf, sweetie. You think you got what it takes to help me or not? It might be too difficult for you.” She said as she went back to working with whatever she was doing, promptly ignoring him. Ha!_

_“...nonsense. What problem forbids you from helping a Prince?” Asked the young mage as he let curiosity fully wash over him. Just who was this strange Dwarf? He would certainly enjoy finding out._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Weeeeeeeell, there you go! A bit of info on Syrene! And even some childhood Loki! So! Thoughts so far? This is quite new and different for me so constructive criticisms would be reeeeally appreciated! All theories are also welcomed! I would love to see what you guys think of this character xD


	31. Käraste

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY HOLIDAYS! Happy, New Year, Christmas, Hanukkah, Yuletide, and anything and everything! and since our lovebirds are in Puerto Rico and Three Kings day was yesterday, happy that as well! Hope you all had a wonderful time during the holidays. I know I did :3 but back to business! Here's a three-part chapter!

“Wait… Where are they?” Cautioned Steve. Bruce rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration. He could already see how much trouble Thor being here would bring.

 _“They seem to have teleported, Sir. But where ever to, it’s somewhere I can’t locate using Mr. Stark’s phone. It’s somewhere out of range.”_ Carefully explained J.A.R.V.I.S. This was bad… not only would they have to deal with Thor, they would have to deal with the spies. And Bruce wasn’t 100% sure he could keep Rogers on their side if everyone else bet against Loki. Tony and Loki had finished breakfast first. They’ve both quickly afterward headed to the labs to check Loki’s range of powers. Everyone else finished their food a few minutes later and were about to head to the labs when they heard it.

“So they could be somewhere underground or on an entirely different planet and there’s no way of us knowing?… J.A.R.V.I.S. show us the footage again.” Asked for the captain. The video played over the counter again and they saw as the lovebirds were walking down the corridor, shoulders bumping, gaze lingering. It was painfully obvious how much they were into each other. They arrived at Tony’s workshop and Loki magically changed his clothes and downed what he had worn during the Incident. Tony seemed to space out for a few seconds, heavily leaned against the wall and slid down. Loki quickly changed clothes again at J.A.R.V.I.S. request and talked Tony out of his panic attack. They were silent for a while but Bruce knew they were beyond words by now. It made him remember how he was with Betty… he missed her… This is not the time for reminisces, Bruce… Afterwards, the Bifrost and brontide were heard, Loki panicked and they teleported away.

“It looks like he panicked like when he first saw Cap. Nothing forced or malicious. They’ll be fine and back when they’re ready. So no worries there. But what do we do with Thor?” Worried the scientist. Bruce could see doubt written all over Rogers’ face. Barton looked like he was about to burst a vein and Romanoff, as always, kept her thought perfectly hidden. Not good.

“We don’t know why he’s here so we should try to figure that out first. Remember, since he arrived he hasn’t caused any type of problem. He saved you, Barton and he’s tried his best to explain everything we ask him about. Plus Tony has his full trust and he’s has been backstabbed enough to not give his trust to just anyone.” Argued the scientist. The captain’s face said he believed otherwise. Seriously, this was _not_ the time for this.

“He may act aloof and reckless, Steve, but he really isn’t. Give him some credit.” Corrected Bruce.

“Fine… we figure out what he knows, what he wants and then decide what to tell him. Sounds good?” Conceded and asked Rogers. The archer simply grunted and the assassin shrugged. Not very reassuring but it would have to do. Only moments later, their resident god of thunder arrived.

“Friends! How joyful it is to see you! How fairs Midgard?”

* * *

 

_"BEARDLESS DAFT! Not that one!! Are you trying to kill us?!” Sneered the bloody redhead._

_“How was I to know which wire you meant?! Your descriptions leave much to be desired!” Snapped the young prince as he cleared the smoke surrounding him from the giant spark he had caused. How was it his fault? She had not explained properly!_

_“The mildly shiny blue one!” Yelled the infuriating dwarf. Like that was any type of clear description!_

_“There are 5 cables with incredibly similar shades of blue!” Complained the young mage as he popped his head from under the table. By now they were both covered in ash and grease._

_“Useless! Give that to me.” Demanded the cable the rude dwarf. Her short red hair was now sticking up awkwardly from the friction. It looked rather funny, actually, but he could not laugh. He was supposed to be furious! She was a dwarf, known for their obsession with growing their hair and beards, yet hers was cut over her_ **_pointed_ ** _ears. Could she be any more annoyingly contradicting? She was female but she looked like a male as well! She was a smith_ **_and_ ** _a mage! She worked for the crown, yet she had_ **_no_ ** _respect for it! Why had the Norms placed her in his path?_

_“You will cease your disrespectful attitude! I am your prince!” Snarled, said prince, as he threw her the cable. She had been curious before but now she was plain irksome!_

_“You’re a brat that nags too much! Status means nothing when you’re building down here, only knowledge, skill and intellect does! Stop relying on your status and start thinking for yourself.” Scolded the woman with her arms crossed… Loki was speechless. “Oh, silent now, are we?” She taunted._

_“Everyone else is terrified of offending the Royal family. No one sane would act in the way you do. Why are you different?” Questioned the baffled young prince._

_“Who said I’m sane? Pass me the clippers.” Asked for, the smith, as she ducked her head under the table with the cable in hand._

_“Are you not worried I would tell the All-Father?” Puzzled the young royalty._

_“Tell him that you got lost and you couldn’t convince a simple smith to help you get back to your room? If you weren't worried about what they would think of you getting lost, you would’ve left and asked any other servant in the palace. You won’t tell.” Concluded the dwarf._

_“How can you tell so much without truly knowing anything about me?” Loki wondered as he walked over to a box full of tools and grabbed the clippers._

_“I’m observant, kid. I pay attention to detail. The smallest things can tell us a lot about something. The more you learn about it, the easier it gets to manage and fix. Same applies to people. The more you learn about them, the easier it is to manage them. The easier it is to get what you want from them.” She offered._

_“I… see.” Was all the young male said. He could clearly see what she meant. It would be a useful view to learn. Maybe this way he could show the others he was just as ready as Thor to go hunting with the court. She sure was insufferable, rude and disrespectful, but perhaps he could learn helpful things from her._

_“You want something from someone, you learn what they want, what they like, what they hate. Manipulate what you’ve got to hit those certain points and boom, you get what you want… wait why am I teaching a kid about this? Why are you distracting me and why haven’t you given me the bloody clippers yet?!”_

* * *

 

They stepped through the portal and Loki felt his mortal shiver. The cold could not affect him, but he knew it was probably uncomfortable for Anthony. He covered the hand that held onto his arm with his own, and gently squeezed it. He sent a small spell of warmth through the contact and heard the man release the breath he was holding in. But the cold was only momentary. Regretfully, they soon stepped into somewhere where it was hot. Heat has always made the prince uncomfortable, and to his distaste, he now knew why. He pushed the thoughts away and declared to the inventor, releasing his hand.  “You may open your eyes now, Stark.”

They stood in the middle of a small room. As Loki looked around, he saw there was two medium sized beds behind them and a small desk in front of them. Mounted on the wall was also one of those screens Midgardians used to see moving pictures in.

“It’s small, I know. Mr. Billionaire is probably used to far much more luxury, but it’s something. Something is always better than nothing…” said his past friend sitting on top of the desk. She was dressed like a Midgardian youth in green and black and wore a sort of knitted hat. As always, neutral in her clothes.

He could tell from her tone and from knowledge of her that she thought Anthony to be another selfish, egotistical, rich aristocrat. She especially hated those. He would have to work to get them both to warm up to each other. Wait… why?

“Okay so through there is a corridor that goes left and right. To the left, you’ll find the kitchen, table and living room. To the right are the guest restroom and two rooms at the end. The one on the left is mine, on the right is storage. Don't open the storage. Knock on mine if you need anything and I’ll order pizza later.” Why did he felt the need to make them like each other? The mage did not even know if he could trust her yet, so why make them get along? It felt important, yet he could not see any practical importance to it… never mind, he would figure that out after he knew he could trust the old halfling.

It seemed they were in a modest mortal house. It was much smaller than both the tower and the palace he used to live in. Yet he could see the appeal. _This_ was practical. It very much reminded Loki of Syrene, even if it was completely different from what he was used to seeing of her. When the god looked back at her, she had left the desk and was strolling over to the door. She had taken off her hat, revealing more of her short fiery hair along with her pointed ears. With her other hand, she grabbed the doorknob, but he could not let her leave. He wanted answers. He needed them now.

“...Why did you not contact me, Sy?” asked the prince. He did not care for anything else besides finding out if he could trust his old friend. He needed to know on which side she would stand. She had always stood at his, but too much had changed. He would not let his guard down.

“Like I said, I couldn’t find your seiðr.” she answered, obviously avoiding the real question. She went to leave the room but the Trickster stopped her. He quickly grabbed her arm and just as swiftly let it go. He could not let his feelings drive his actions. He would stay calm. He would pretend to be fine. He _was_ fine… he… he was…

“You know what I mean…” He was not… his words did not carry the same weight as before. His tongue was not as sharp. He _had_ to change that. _Promptly_.

“... Bah, I was tired of the palace anyway. I needed a change of pace. And I don’t need you to save my ass.” She rebuked. He was out of practice and too emotional. His time in the tower had softened him even further. He needed to regain his strength if he was to get ahead of his enemies. He had to lose the sentiment and start thinking rationally again. Only facts and practicality mattered. He could not addle anymore.

“Had I known, I would have intervened. Your absence was irksome and atrophied important matters to the crown. It caused quite a lot of inconvenience.” He snapped. He did not mean to be so cold but he had to make sure to not look weak. But Syrene knew him too well. She would see through it.

“Irksome? So that’s how it is? Well, I’m sorry to be such an inconvenience, _your majesty.”_ She knew his words, for they were her own. He had to somehow uncover the truth, but how? He was starting to panic again. He would lose this battle. He would lose and she, his once friend, would send him back. Back to Asgard. Back to the dungeons. Back to _them._ It was inevitable. They would catch him again. They had warned him. Even if he escaped, he would always fall back and they would be waiting. They would torture him. They would rap-

“Loki...” a hand on his back brought him back to reality.

The hand of _Anthony._

No… he would not go back.

Anthony was beside him. He would not go back. He could not. Anthony was here. He was not alone anymore… Yes, Syrene knew most about him. But he also knew most about her. He would find out why she was here, what her plan was. He would find out if he could trust her. And if he could not. He would find a way to win her over again. He was tired of losing everything. He would get what he wanted. He would get the amazing mortal beside him, and he would get his friend back. He took a deep breath, leaned into the touch and began to introduce. “Anthony, this is Syrene. She is…”

“A friend of Loki’s” blurred out the slightly tanned dwarf. Weeell, that _is_ what he wanted to hear…

“An acquaintance of mine.” But for now, he would pretend indifference until he was sure of everything... And to spite her. It was always fun to spite her…. What? He was still the God of Mischief.

“Ouch. Degraded.” Gasped the redhead as she held her heart, pretending to be wounded. She laid her weight on the door and fanned herself. Her leaning made her look even smaller and weaker, but he knew perfectly well she could take them both and stand her ground.

“She _may_ not be an enemy.” Teased the Trickster to her horror. He heard the Avenger next to him chuckle. He looked at the god with a raised eyebrow. The brown-eyed halfling gasped offended.

“May?? Now that’s just rude. Downright I'm not.” Snapped the halfling pointing at the prince.

“And Syrene, this is-” began to explain the mage but was soon interrupted by a recovered annoying smith.

“Anthony Stark. Son of Howard Stark. Both worldly known engineers. Plus he’s Iron Man.” Excitedly said the fellow inventor.

“Right…” Was the only word the confused mortal engineer uttered.

“I did my research on Midgardian craftsmanship when I arrived here in the 1930s. I debated about alerting Asgard of the tesseract being in mortal hands but honestly, humans should’ve never been cut off from the other realms. It was about time that they started to learn about the universe. I was gonna tell you about it directly, Loki. But by then the war had started and things just got too interesting.” Was her rushed explanation. Anthony beside him looked shocked and just about ready to launch at her. It was obvious he did not approve of her lack of initiative to stop a war that involved so much bloodshed.

The god understood too well her lack of much care for that war. They had both seen far worse conflicts involving entire realms, but for the mortals it was important. For them, it had been them at their worst. It was unwise to make light of it in front of them. Yet she must have known that. But before his mortal could say anything, she continued on with questions. “So! What’s he to you now? Not enemies anymore? Frenemies? Frenemies with Benefits? No trying to take over Midgard?”

“No… there is much… as humans would say, ‘catching up’ to do between us… And Stark is m-my… _käraste…”_ Damn… he stuttered… it was obvious from her raised eyebrow that she had not bought it. She could tell there was more to the story. Luckily, she did not seem too keen on digging in on that just yet and Anthony had not understood what he said. He would not allow it either way. 

“We must now retire to rest from our exhausting experience with the Void. We shall discuss this tomorrow.” declared the prince. Both mages looked at each other for a while, waiting for any response or move. Seeing as nothing happened, the red-haired halfling shrugged and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.

“That was weird as hell. And we’re staying the night?” questioned the human. He could perfectly understand how odd it must be to meet Syrene for the first time. He remembered perfectly well his own confusion when they first met.

“If you mean how acclimatized she seems, then yes, it is quite bizarre but one of her better traits. She has quite the ability to simply adapt to everything around her… a hard learned trait. And as to us staying the night… Thor is most likely still in your tower. I wish not to see him for the moment. I a-am… I am not ready to have words with him as of yet… And you need rest. Your body has not recovered. If you would allow me, I could help with some of your recovery.” he was… scared of meeting his brother. Many a time his face had been used to torture him… his memories of their childhood had been torn to shreds and used against him… he barely could remember which memories were real and which were corrupted or implanted…

“Fine, we stay. Still don't like her, and she’s only getting weirder. Like, one second she seems totally alien and the next she seems like any typical odd human kid. From extra to mundane…” he would not risk having a panic attack in front of his brother. He needed to compose himself before they met. For now, he needed to focus on his mortal.

“She is, well, ‘not your typical Dwarf’.” vaguely explained the mage, remembering her own words.

“Dwarf?? So she’s half Elf, half Dwarf?” exclaimed the human. It brought a small smile the face of the mage to once again observe how perceptive Anthony was.

“You noticed her elven features.” stated the prince as he sat down on the bed behind him. It was surprisingly soft for how it looked. It was probably made by Syrene, like everything else in this household.

“Those ears are kinda hard to miss on that fiery pixie cut.” laughed the inventor as he sat beside him. Their knees brushed against each other and it brought warmth to the prince. He let out a long sigh, only now noticing how forceful his breaths had been.

“Yet you only noticed them now, did you not? She is quite skilled in the art of deception. Be it physical or magical.” Noted the mage. It was perplexing how easily the presence of Anthony could calm him. He wondered if he had a similar effect on the mortal. Wishful thinking...

“Not really a helpful quality right now. She could be using that against us.” Chide the avenger. The god looked down, all too aware of the truth in those words.

“Valid concern Anthony. But with time she will come clean about anything she might be doing.” Doubtfully explained the god. He could not be entirely certain.

“It’s been 80 years Lokes. You have no idea what could’ve happened in all that time. People change, and typically it’s not for the better.” Not so helpfully complained the inventor. The mage sighed.

“I know Anthony… you know I am well aware… Yet it is just the way she is, or at least was. She could not truly keep a secret from me. But it matters not, we will not trust her until we know of her intentions. And for now, you must rest. I can assist you and ward you as you sleep.” Changed the topic Loki. He was tired himself but Anthony needed it more. He looked back up at the mortal and saw his sad eyes already looking at him. Anthony knew well what it was like to hope. How painful it was when you already knew the truth. He continued to look at those tired brown eyes and saw them shift to confusion.

“Wait, you’re not sleeping with me?” Innocently asked the human. It was almost cute how for once he was too tired to notice a potential innuendo.

“I think your body needs rest before we can indulge in such pleasure, my dear.” Jested the god. The surprise on the face of the inventor as the meaning dawned on him was priceless. His rich laugh afterward brought out a small chuckle from the mage and he could not help the warmth that spread through his body at seeing such a genuine smile. He felt his own lips warm up and he knew exactly what they wanted. He leaned forwards, gently placed his hand on the neck of his avenger and brought their lips together for a slow tender kiss. It silenced their laughter and now they were both simply grinning at each other, with their foreheads pressed together.

“Sneaky cheeky bastard.” Finally said, Anthony, as he grabbed the mage by the neck and kissed him back. Loki could not deny it any longer. As he had told Syrene, the mortal truly was his beloved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Käraste = Beloved, if Google didn't fail me. if it did and someone knows the real translation in Swedish, please let me know.  
> Also, I would love to hear opinions on my descriptions of Syrene. For cannon characters, there isn't much need for description cause most people know how they look but its different for OCs so opinions and constructive criticisms would be highly welcomed and appreciated!


	32. Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...yeah... no excuse except writer's block.

“So, where do you wanna start then?” asked Syrene as she leaned against the door frame. She rubbed between her fingers a small silver talisman. It hanged closely to her neck and displayed a flat tree, carved bare of leaves with a circle around it. A talisman he knew all too well.

“By telling me your real intentions. Why are you really here? And why did you seek me out only now?” quickly snapped the prince. He was tired of going around it. He had to know the truth. No twist of words or strategy would work here.  

“I told you already.” exasperated, said the crossed armed redhead. She threw her head back, banging it against the wood and closed her eyes. She had changed her clothes and was now wearing a white henley shirt with light ripped blue jeans. Loki only knew their name for Anthony also downed one right now under one of his many grey band shirts. It had some sort of flowers wrapped around guns. He still found his clothes to be odd, a charming sort of odd. But enough distraction.

“Why else?” demanded Loki. There was more. There was always more, her silence only confirmed it. “Syrene…” sighed the mage. She remained motionless by the door, infuriating the jotnar further. He stood up from the side of Anthony, grabbed her shoulders and towered over her. “Syrene, do not play games with me.” he ordered. He knew he could not truly force her to do anything. She cared not about his position, never had. She would only give what she was willing to give. He currently had no way of getting the information he needed if she did not cooperate. But she would. She had to.

It took a few more moments of silence until she finally rightened her head and opened her eyes to look at him. She stared intently and muttered “...Your mother.”

“Mo... The All-Mother?” asked the prince in a low voice as he let her go and backed away. At the mention of his mother, he felt as if he had shrunken and become a child again. Many a time he had thought of her during his tortures. He had long given up hope of ever seeing her again. To hear of her… it hurt more than any physical assaults.

“Yeah... About a month ago she sent me a dream message telling me to find you. Said you might need help. Told me to tell no one. Didn’t explain why tho. What is it with you Aesir and being cryptic?” elaborated the halfling. The raven-haired god was speechless. He did not know how to interpret this new information… he had tried to avoid it but he had always wondered… had she known of his tortures? Had she tried to stop it? Had she not cared? Loki was so far lost in his destructive thoughts, that he flinched in surprise when Syrene intuitively asked. “Does it… sorry, does it have to do with why I couldn’t track your seiðr?”

He turned away from her and walked back next to the bed Anthony still laid on, magically asleep. Looking at the peaceful man calmed him momentarily. “In a way…” was all the younger prince could say. He was still unsure if to believe her or not. He wished for it to be true. Oh, how he longed to see his mother if one final time.

“Look, I taught you to always be wary and to never trust without proof… so what proof would you like me to give you? I have no idea what the hel happened but... You look bad… you look terrified out of your wits... unhealthy.. just… just know I’m here for you, My Prince. Always have been and always will be. You can trust me.” she pleaded taking a tentative step towards him. He turned around to face her with anger shaping his features. She truly looked concerned but… How could he? How could he trust anyone? _How?_

“Then pray tell, wise friend, how can I be sure you will not betray me? just like everyone I have ever cared for has? How am I supposed to _not_ expect the same from you? How could I know for certain that you have not lied to me as well? How could I be certain you will not turn on me once you know the _truth_ , should you _not_ know it already? Do tell me how am I supposed to **_trust_ ** you?!” he shouted. He let his emotions lose shocking her. He had never screamed at her in that way. They had fought but not like this. He knew he would regret it later but he could not bring himself to care at the moment. He was angry. He was scared, and right now he had a target who could take his anger.

“I have lied to you.” incredulously said Syrene after the shock left her features.

He took a threatening step towards her, his hands beginning to glow with magic. “ **_What?_ ** _”_ How could she admit to it that easily? How dare she?!

“I’ve lied to you. Just as you have lied to me. Everyone lies after all. I taught you that, remember? Saying otherwise is, in itself, a lie. But I’ve never lied to hurt you. I’ve never manipulated you the way I taught you how to do with others. Just as you have not done with me either. None of our time together has been a lie. And I don't know what this ‘truth’ you speak of is, but I am 100% sure of one thing. And that’s that it won’t change anything between us. You are Loki, as I am Syrene. Anything else is of unimportance to me.” she tried to assure the prince in the soft firm tone he had learned to associate with her lessons. But from those same lessons, he knew they were just words.

“Words Syrene… they are all just _words_. You have taught me how to use them. They prove nothing.” deadpanned her once apprentice as he felt the energy in his hands pulse with the desire to be released. Saying his powers had been taken away was not quite correct. Everything in existence had seiðr, had energy. What mages, sorcerers, and witches did was harness that energy and convert it. To say the All-Father has taken most of his seiðr away was incorrect. What The All-Father really did was sealed away inside the body of the mage his abilities to manipulate that energy. He had not explained it that way to the mortals in fear they would wrongly think he could break the seal before he had redeemed himself. He also lead them to believe he only had parts of his powers back, like healing and defense magic. Yet that was also not quite true. Those were just the easiest types of magic he could summon without putting too much pressure on the seal. More complex spells would exhaust and pain him, but he could still access them if necessary. Right now, he could feel the pressure build up under the seal that wrapped around his arm, invisible to the human eye, as his magic swirled inside of him, trying to find a way out.

“Fine, read my memories then. Mr. Billionaire Playboy can call a suit to protect us while you’re at it.” she flatly offered, making his magic immediately stop dead in its tracks. That… that could actually work… But it would be immensely painful… He was used to seeing the memories of others, both to prove truths and as a weapon to incapacitate enemies with their worst memories… Usually, he was not a part of them, making it so he felt nothing from seeing those instances. But this time, he was very much part of the action. It was his memories as well… To remember those times... Everything had been so much easier back then. He missed the visits to Alfheim with his once family. He missed the innocence and ignorance of those days. But he knew he could not go back. He could never again be that child that roamed the long corridors in search of that one undecorated door; in hope to find the bizarre smith that was neither fully rude nor fully kind. Not fully female, or fully male. Not Dwarf, or Elf. Always something in between. Yet always there. Always accepting if not necessarily welcoming… to fully relive those memories now? Would hurt almost as much as hearing about his mother had. They both knew it.

“...Alright... we shall do that… but only after Stark wakes.” responded the god as he sat down next to said man. He would need Anthony beside him and awake if he was to do this… not just to protect them. He could not do it alone. But the shorter man also still needed rest and that was the priority.

“Stark… what’s the story there, by the way? Cause _Käraste?_ He doesn't really seem like your type.” said Syrene with a frown as she walked back to the door. She had known well his past lovers. But she knew not enough of the mortal yet to see what heavily stirred the thoughts and heart of the god. Knew not what caused him such confusion and clarity simultaneously. He was almost certain of what his sentiment for the man was, but he had yet to know what Anthony truly felt of him.

“I… I am still figuring that out... But you should know better than anyone that there is always more to see than the image shown. There is far more to him than what the mortal media decides to spread in their networks.” was all he offered. He was unwilling to share more. Firstly because he could not yet trust her and because he was unwilling to give information that was unclear to himself.

Loki could see how his old friend was digging all the information she could from his features and actions. He would have to be careful with keeping a mask of indifference up, at least, until he was more certain of things. She knew enough for now. After staring at him for some more time, she grinned and gave in with. “Fair enough... But if he gets any funny ideas with you, My Prince I’ll make him into a sack for pig manure.” and with that, she left the room, leaving Loki to his thoughts.

* * *

 

“Hey, sunshine… Wait… what hour is it?” Asked Anthony as he sat up and rubbed his eyes. His sleeping face had been quite lovely to see but Loki did preferred him awake and responsive.

“I am unsure how many, but you have slept for a few of them. Syrene came by with pizza some time ago. It lays on the table. Wish to eat it?” Asked the god. He had enjoyed a few hours for himself and being able to watch over Anthony had kept the darker thoughts away.

“You… you put me to sleep, didn’t you…?” Asked the mortal, still a bit, as humans say, ‘groggy’.

“You needed rest.” Was the half-truth Loki decided to go with. His mortal body did need rest after their time in the void. The oxygen deprivation had affected the mind of Anthony more than he had expected. He had seemed slightly confused and off balance back in the bar but it had been more than just that. Had Loki not treated him quickly, permanent damage to his brain could have happened. Luckily for them, healing magic came easily to Loki. But aside from that, the mind of the mage needed the time to compose itself after his talk with Syrene.

“Well… yeah, but ask me first next time, ‘kay?” Evidently worried Anthony. Loki should have thought of that! He better than anyone should understand. No matter the circumstance, he should have asked.

“I… Yes, of course. I apologize for not doing so before… I am truly sorry. It shall not happen again. Forgive me.” profoundly apologized the prince as he grabbed the hands of the inventor.

The kind, brown-haired man smiled and squeezed the hands holding his back. “Don’t sweat it, Lokes. I’m fine. Found out anything about Syrene so far?” he asked.

Loki still felt horrible for his moment of obliviousness. He would be sure to not forget about. But he was relieved to not hear accusation or hate in his words. “Yes… We spoke before she left to run an errand… she says The All-Mother sent her a dream message to look for me after the All-Father casted me out.”

“Your mom sent her? How can we prove that?” Wisely asked the human. Loki frowned. Thinking about what he would have to do, made his head hurt already. This would not be easy; neither for himself or Syrene. It could be dangerous even, but it was the only way.

“By viewing her memory… Under normal circumstances, I could do it easily but with my current... seiðr deficiency, it most certainly will tire me to exhaustion to do it. I would be unable to defend us afterward. Syrene agreed to pass through the wards a call for your suit once she returns. I lead her to believe it was to protect us while the process happen. She knows not of the lack of my full powers.” He explained as he rubbed circles on the hands he held. He would explain to Anthony the truth about his powers. Only him. But not now. It was not the right time and they had other things to worry about.

He wanted to get back to the tower. He wanted to get back to living with Anthony. He wanted to help him in his research of magic, as he had promised he would once he got his powers back. With Syrene by their side, he could even face Thor. This had to be done.

Anthony looked shocked at the mention of memory viewing. It was good to see surprise and wonder instead of fear and distaste at the mention of his abilities. Another reason to tell him the truth. “You can… of course, you can read minds…Anyway, before I freak out about that, I sent my coordinates to J back in the bar so a suit should be on its way already.” Added the Avenger once he got over his initial shock.

“Is it your ‘Adequately Named ‘Stealth Suit’’?” Tried to jest the mage to lighten the mood. He sat further back on the bed to be beside the human.

“Yeah, didn’t need anyone wondering where Iron Man was going. Or following. You think the cloaking would work on her? On magic?” He wondered. Loki could not help but chuckle. Always thinking ahead of everything. Something he could relate to. He told him how it probably would not. He explained an enchantment would be necessary to fool the senses of a magic practitioner. Anthony asked if he could learn to do that and if it worked on technology as well. Was he actively trying to court the mage? If he was, he was succeeding immensely.

“Enchantments interest you? I thought you prefer your mortal sciences. And well, I could try to teach you, but I am unsure if your mortal mind could comprehend it.” quipped the mage. A light jest he knew would not be misinterpreted.

“Ha! Magic is just science that hasn't been explained yet. At least not in the terms we normally use so of course I’m interested. And Honey, never underestimate my mind, or my undying determination.” beamed the mortal. This man was too interesting. Loki could not help but stare at his lips as he talked. He had kissed them before he slept but he wanted to taste them again.

“More like your unending stubbornness. Will you ever cease to be so infuriatingly amusing?” He wanted to kiss again those soft lips that never ceased singing praises for the god. It had become an unhealthy addiction, but he did not care. He was known for indulging in the pleasures of the flesh before, so why should he stop now when he had such an exquisite human in front of him?

“Pff no, I aim to be infuriating, keeps me interesting, among other things.” Dropping the last of the pitifully small resistance he held, the prince closed the distance between them with a soft touch of lips. It was chaste but the alien already felt the blood in his veins race.

“You speak much for a man famed for his prowess and passion in bed. Could it be that you are, ‘All bark and no bite’?” asked the dark haired male as he scooted further back on the bed and signaled for the shorter man to follow. Anthony chuckled and answered with a wink.

“My skills in bed have nothing to do with me waiting for when you feel ready. Even if it's giving me blue balls...” Loki could not believe what he was hearing. He was not familiar with the term of ‘blue shaded balls’ nor did he understand its meaning, but that did not matter. None of his previous partners had ever felt such consideration for him. They all had always expected him to give them whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted it. He had learned that was simply how everyone was. He always had had to show them they could not just take from him. He would only give what and when he wanted. He had resigned himself to think that he simply would always have to fight to be respected. Yet here he was in front of a mortal, those he had thought to be beneath him, showing him he was wrong yet again. Showing him how much that infamous mortal humanity was not a weakness. Showing him once again how complex humans could be. And how much more complex that even other humans he was. And that only increased his appeal.

At this new revelation, he felt another line of the seal break, and more of his energy was released, revitalizing him. He could feel his magic run through his body more freely and smoothly. It sent a rush of adrenaline and pleasure through his body and he knew exactly what to do with it. He set his heavy gaze on the mortal and motioned with his finger, sending the inventor flying into his lap with a small yelp.

One of his arms went straight around the back of Anthony, both his body and magic longing to hold the mortal even closer. They wanted the useless space between them eradicated. Once the body sitting on him settled in place, he slowly rolled his hips, making sure the 'perks' of his new seat did not go unnoticed. If Anthony was still unsure of his attraction for him, he made sure with another twist of his hips that it was clear. After being rewarded with a sweet gasp from that marvelous mouth, bending his head slightly to speak right into his ear, Loki murmured roughly, “Is that sufficient? Or would you like me to provide more _evidence_?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still not happy with this chapter.


	33. Weakness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Urg anyone else had problems logging in to their accounts? I spent like 3 weeks trying. Finally got in.

“You speak much for a man famed for his prowess and passion in bed. Could it be that you are, ‘All bark and no bite’?” asked the dark haired male as he scooted further back on the bed and signaled for the shorter man to follow. Anthony chuckled and answered with a wink.

“My skills in bed have nothing to do with me waiting for when you feel ready. Even tho’ it's giving me blue balls...” Loki could not believe what he was hearing. None of his previous partners had ever felt such consideration for him. They all had always expected him to give them whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted it. He had resigned himself to think that he simply would always have to fight to be respected. Yet here he was in front of a mortal, those he had thought to be beneath him, showing him, he was wrong yet again. And that only increased his appeal.

At this new revelation, he felt another line of the seal break, and more of his energy was released, revitalizing him. He could feel his magic run through his veins more freely and smoothly. It sent a rush of adrenaline and pleasure through his body and he knew exactly what to do with it. He set his heavy gaze on the mortal and motioned with his finger, sending the inventor flying into his lap with a small yelp.

One of his arms went straight around the back of Anthony, both his body and magic longing to hold the mortal even closer. They wanted the useless space between them eradicated. Once the body sitting on him settled in place, he slowly rolled his hips, making sure the 'perks' of his new seat did not go unnoticed. If Anthony was still unsure of his attraction for him, he made sure with another twist of his hips that it was clear. After being rewarded with a sweet gasp from that marvelous mouth, bending his head slightly to speak right into his ear, Loki murmured roughly, “Is that sufficient? Or would you like me to provide more evidence?”

“Well…” The warm puffs of the shaky exhale from the mortal right next to his ear, tickled the sensitive skin of the mage. “To prove anything…” the shorter male stopped to bite and gently pull his earlobe, making Loki lightly gasp. “Test have to be made a minimum of three times.” The god smiled at the answering pleasure and exhaled through his nose in relief, his arms pulling Anthony even closer. “So. Still interested?” asked the clever human. In retaliation, Loki tugged the head of the other back gently before lightly nipping his neck. The inventor let out a soft hiss when he felt teeth and hot wet breath on his neck.

The hand of Anthony instantly searched and curled into the hair of Loki as the hiss slowly turned into a moan. "Lo-Loki..."  Tilting his head further back without being prompted, unable to help but move his body slowly against the body of the pale man, he threw his other arm around the neck of Loki.

Even though Loki had secretly envisioned ravishing Anthony many times before, when the moment came, he was unable to be anything but be gentle and sensual. A hard battle for dominance full of biting and spit and thrusting tongues suddenly was not as preferable as the soft caress of lips against lips. There would be time for raw passion later. For now, he would slowly explore the body before him. The avenger over him panted loudly as he started rolling his hips, probably lost in the feeling. Loki had lost himself as well and scolded himself for his lack of control. He unwillingly parted from that delicious delicate neck and saw as he had left quite a notable mark. It filled him with renewed lust to know he had marked the mortal as his. But it also worried him that he had not gotten permission for it from Anthony. He looked at the inventor for confirmation and was glad to see on those blown irises that the mortal only longed for more.

Loki decided to retake that sensational mouth and humming pleasantly in the back of his throat, he deepened the kiss, grazing the wrinkles of his palate, lapping at the underside of his upper lip as it retreated. He sucked that surprisingly soft lower lip into his mouth and bit it gently as he pulled the avenger closer, sliding him the last few inches onto his lap. The full contact of the arousal of Anthony had his lips parting in a breathless moan, accidentally losing that mouth to concentrate on the warmth, pressure and solid weight of Tony against his chest. Tony? He could not care less about formalities at that moment. The feeling of all the points of contact burn like a brand on his skin. He was unable to concentrate on anything else. He was lost in the contact, in the nearness. He purred affectionately as his hand involuntarily slid its way under the shirt of Tony, his nails grazing the soft skin he found there.

Tony took advantage seeing the moment Loki pulled away to suck in a much-needed breath, he tugged the head of the other back before paying back in kind for the attention to his soft skin. The nibbles and sucks of that darling mouth went straight to the crotch of Loki. "Tony," Loki growled hotly into his mortal's ear, "mark me." The eyes of Loki dropped closed as Tony took the encouragement and licked up along the smooth column to his chin, and he let Tony take control because he was that far gone already, wanting nothing more than that incredible mouth, those hands that made things capable of so much destruction, but were also capable of such a kind, reassuring touches. He wanted more, just more, _ more Tony _ . The wet slide of that tongue, the bites nibbles and the warmth of their shared breaths, slowly but surely drove Loki desperate. They both were so desperate to simply have each other that they did not notice the sound of the door opening.

“You know…” Immediately at the momentarily unrecognizable voice, Loki conjured and threw a knife at where the sound had come from. He cared not what or who he hit, the god did not deal well with interruption. 

“If you’re gonna eat each other out in my guest room… you should at least give me a fair warning. Put a towel or a sock on the door next time or something. Jeez.” said who he now recognized as Syrene, holding the knife right in front of her face. When she moved it away and balanced the tip on her finger, Loki could see a drop of blood form on the bridge of her nose. 

‘Syrene... You are back…” said the mage as he gently set Anthony beside him. He set aside his anger to look at the mortal and see if he was alright, but he simply looked annoyed at also being interrupted. Not one for shyness then. Good to know for a later day. 

“Yep… and what do I find? My Prince having his way with his precious  _ Käraste _ ... I got what I needed, and shorty’s suit arrived. It landed on the roof. Nice touch on the stealth tech by the way. So, when you’re done eating booty, your highness, we can start.” said the halfling as she stored away the dagger in her side bag and left the room. He would have words with her later. 

“Apologies Anthony… it seems we have to yet again postpone our activities…” apologized for the mage, moving his hand to the forehead of Anthony. He brushed away a strand of sweat-damp hair and enjoyed watching the mark that was sure to last a few days as the other caught his breath.

“You know… If we get interrupted again, I swear I’ll punch whoever it is in the face…” breathed out Anthony. Shared sentiment. 

To his comment, Loki quickly responded: “If I do not stab them first…” His human looked angry but he still had the lingering effects of their passions. His eyes were still partly dilated and his lips were swollen. Quite a marvelous look he had on. 

“You ready for this?” asked Anthony once he had regained more control. He looked concerned now. Concerned for Loki. He could do this… with this man beside him… he could do it.  

“Ready as I shall ever be, my dear.”

* * *

 

 

“So, how do we do this?” Tony was pissed honestly. He’d never had to wait so much for someone. Everything came easy for him in that sense. He’d never had to experience blue balls before. He’d never had a shortage of partners to warm his bed. Yet here he was, interrupted twice… and it wasn't even cause of Loki. Both times he’d shown that he was willing but there’s always something. Being back in full suit made him feel slightly better tho’.The billionaire sighed as he stared at the aliens in front of him and passed his helmet from hand to hand. Third time’s the charm hopefully.  

“Well, Loki and I’ll sit on the bed and gossip while you stand guard outside.” was the stupid reply the kid gave him. She sure was getting on his nerve. If it wasn’t cause Loki said they might need her, he would have blasted her in the face by now. What? She wasn’t actually a kid!

“No, Stark stays in the room.” defended him Loki. He was so annoyed he’d forgotten to respond. One shot tho’... If he ‘accidentally’ shot her, she would probably survive with her annoying alien durability, right?

“If we doing this, afterward I’ll be… you know.” vaguely said elf shorty. She was obviously trying to hide something from him and he wasn't about to let that happen. If she had a weakness, he would find out. To be able to protect Loki of course. No, but seriously, if this backfired, it would be helpful. But before he could say anything, Loki answered again. 

“He stays and that is final. You want me to trust you, do you not? That is my condition to do this.” negotiated his fabulous mage. Now, while he did like to see Loki getting back his usual snarky confidence… he could also answer himself… but that was honestly so unimportant right now. The other mage just sighed and conjured a tank beside the bed the two aliens sat on. It was labeled with Oxygen. He wasn’t quite sure why they needed it or if that was the big secret, but it only worried him. 

“Let us begin then. Stark, we shall be unresponsive until we are done. The wards should be enough but in case of anything, watch over us.” detachedly said the dark haired male. 

“No need to tell me twice, Rock of Ages. Iron guard on duty.” Okay, that’s admittedly not his best line but he was nervous. Who could blame him? This was waaaay out of his league. Mind control and memory viewing? Nop, not this things. He could build something to protect himself from those types of attacks, but he had no idea how it was done. He would  _ definitely  _ ask Loki later to explain it. 

Loki and Syrene sat closely, cross-legged, facing each other. They lifted their arms in unison and placed their index fingers on each other’s temples. It looked like some voodoo ritual and Tony suddenly felt very intrusive. He hadn't really thought about it till now but those two would be sharing memories. It seemed more intimate than anything he had seen before. More intimate than anything that he had ever experienced before… he uncomfortably looked away. 

2 hours later. 

By then, Tony was out of the suit and sitting on the other bed playing with his Windmill Rubik’s cube (He had J bring it with the stealth suit). He had the suit on standby and ready for action but there was no need to wear himself out, standing inside of it for now. He was still comfortably on alert tho’. But he hoped they finished up soon. He’d already solved the Windmill 34 times in the last half hour. He would have to result to playing candy crush or something if something didn't happen soon. He would’ve worked on some designs with J. on his phone but he didn't want to risk being too distracted. 

He was about to solve the Rubik’s a 35th time when suddenly he heard labored breathing. Tony looked up to see Syrene out of breath. She was slowly wheezing.  _ What’s going on with her? _ He asked himself. He obviously didn’t expect a reply, so imagine his shock when someone did.  _ The oxygen tank Anthony!  _ Said a voice directly in Tony’s mind.

“Wow, what the hell? Loki? Telepathy? Seriously?” asked the avenger out loud, not sure how exactly to reply.

_ Most cross-species die in the womb or shortly after birth from deformities. It is rare they survive. Syrene has been lucky to live this long so far but her lung capacity is very low. The oxygen tank is for her.  _

“Okay, okay, got it.” Tony quickly stood up, set the mask over the redhead’s head and slowly set the tank to release oxygen. “Okay what now?” asked the mortal. He waited for an answer but none came. “Loki? You there?... Damn it Loki, what’s going on?” no answer.

1 hour later.

The imp’s breathing had kinda normalized but Loki was now the one getting worse. About half an hour after the mage had somehow telepathically spoken to him, he’d started to get really pale. Tony by then had decided to sit beside the prince. ‘Their thing being kept secret from her for now’ be damned. He was wiping sweat from the taller male’s forehead when he noticed the drop of blood rolling down from Loki’s nose. Tony was growing more and more worried. 

5 minutes after the blood, Loki was getting paler.

10 minutes after the blood, his breathing was getting shallower.

15 minutes after the blood, his whole body was shivering.

20 minutes after the blood, his skin was growing colder and colder. 

25 minutes after the blood, Tony noticed the seal.

After noticing that every part of the mage, except for his right arm, was getting colder, he checked said arm. There hadn’t been anything there before but now he could see some symbols appearing on his arm. It looked like they were being branded on. It took him a while since he was busy making sure the god didn't  _ die _ on him, but he figured out it had something to do with his magic. He didn't have time to question why Loki hadn't told him about it. He had to focus on making sure he survived this. It took another 35 minutes of Loki getting weaker and the girl’s breathing getting more erratic but something finally changed. 

In a burst of unseen energy, the two mages let go of each other. Tony, being behind Loki, caught him and held him in his arms as Syrene simply fell backward on the bed. “Loki! “Lokes! You alright?”

“An…. Tony…” Tony had never been more relieved to see those emerald rings look at him. They, along with the rest of his face, was tinted with the blue of the reactor. The mage tried to sit up but Tony softly held him. The prince was in no state to do any helping. Tony caught the feeble hand that rose and brought it next to his heart that broke at seeing how dead-pale and trembling he was.

“Lokes? What’s wrong? What happened?” Tony frantically asked. The god was barely conscious, his eyes glazed over. He wasn’t sure what to do.

“Complex spell… overstrain…” Loki answered,  his brows furrowed seemingly in pain fresh blood started dripping from his nose. Fuck this was bad. Really bad.

“Tell me what to do, Loki. Tell me how to help you.” the engineer asked him. He would have  _ really _ liked to know this in advance, that tiring out from magic included this much.

“I need... I need rest...’ the weak immortal said. He really looked like he was about to pass out. And maybe it would have been for the best.

“Rest fixes it. Okay, that sounds great, rest sounds awesome. Rest it is then,’ he said. He was about to get up to let Loki pass out, but the god gripped his shirt and stopped him. His pale white fingers were twisted in Tony’s shirt tightly even if they were still trembling. Tony sat back down and helped the mage to rest his head on his lap. Loki’s fingers relaxed a bit when he did, but did not let go completely. When Tony looked down at him again his eyes were already closed and he was unconscious.

“J. scan her and tell me what she needs. See if you can do it with the suit” instructed the engineer in a low voice. He kept his voice down, even if he was sure that Loki wouldn’t be waking up anytime soon. 

_ “Yes, Sir. Scan complete. Miss Syrene is not receiving sufficient oxygen flow. Adjust the valve to 8 L/min.”  _ informed the concerned sounding AI. the suit slowly walked to the other bed and turned up the valve to the needed measure.

Tony put his hand on Loki’s forehead again to check his temperature, and while he was sweating, his skin was still ice cold. Not at all reassuring. He managed to move around a bit to pull the covers out from under him and the other unconscious mage without disturbing the sleeping god, who did not let go of his shirt even while being out cold. He was not sure if it would help, but he covered him up with the blanket. Then he pulled a pillow and placed it behind his back. He had a feeling he would be here for a while. When he was done accommodating it, he leaned back again. He could feel Loki’s cold fingers even through his shirt. It was making his own skin colder right below the arc reactor, but he did not mind. He didn’t try to pry them off. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What'll happen to our precious mages? How will Syrene act?


	34. Similarities

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just have some fluff cause why not.
> 
> P.S. I kinda notice that we've been sorta stuck in the same place for quite a while now... so I'll move ahead with the story in the next chapter. I promise. So so soooo sorry!!

Loki woke up with a pounding headache, among many other aches. He recognized the type of pain immediately. The bone-deep exhaustion that encircled every part of his body. He knew he needed more rest but he also had to figure out what had happened. The mage became aware that he laid on something soft, possibly a bed, with his head resting on something firmer and warmer. It was strangely familiar. He could almost recognize a similar feeling from many, many centuries ago. But he could not quite place what it was. While he thought, a voice spoke. 

“Hey there, Sleeping Beauty. Or should I call you Maleficent instead? Did I make that joke already? I think I did… Nevermind, how’re you feeling?” rambled on the mortal whose leg had become his pillow at some unknown moment. Was that what he recalled? But when had he laid his head this way with someone else? He did not believe it to be his mother or brother… how odd, but not a matter of pressing concern.

“An... Anthony… What…. what happened?” asked the prince, tired of trying to recall the last events to occur to them. A small groan escaped past his lips without his consent when he finally found the strength to merely open his eyes. The pain in his every fiber was anything but pleasant.

“I wasn’t quite part of the memory sharing process, so you tell me what happened, princess.” was the unhelpful answer Anthony provided. 

“Memories…?” Feedly asked the alien. It finally came back a few seconds later. He had used his magic to read the memories of Syrene. Wait, Syrene? Where was she? What happened to her? He sat up quickly and the world around him swirled. 

Anthony was there in an instant. He softly held the mage by the arms and rubbed them for comfort. “Careful there, Gandalf, you’re still in no shape to be moving around. Tch!” grunted the engineer as he shifted his leg so that they were on each side of the dark-haired male.

Loki immediately stopped trying to move away and turned his head to look at the man behind him. “Anthony? Are you alright?” 

“Huh? Oh don’t worry, it’s just my leg waking up. It’s gonna give me one hell of a cramp.” he tried to shrug it off but Loki would not have it. He had caused Anthony displeasure once again. 

“You… you should have moved me if it caused you pain…” argued the mage. He hated causing him any sort of pain. It no longer was out of fear that the Avenger would punish him for it. Now he wanted to protect him. He was mortal, their lives so fleeting. He would do everything in his power to make that short existence as comfortable and enjoyable as possible. 

“Hey, don't sweat it, I’ve endured way worst. Plus I chose to have you near me. ” refuted the inventor with a smile. Loki recognized he meant more than just this moment. He would not admit how much he longed for someone to care for him this way. They shared many things but he was not prepared to admit that yet.

“Fool…” was all Loki was capable of saying. He looked away, trying to hide the tint of red taking over his cheeks. 

“Yeah yeah, I’m the world’s smartest fool. Come here.” instructed the billionaire with open arms. It took a moment of hesitance, but the prince finally gave up and scooted back against Anthony. He made sure to put no pressure on the device that produced light in his chest as he laid his head beside it. It pulsed at a steady pace, like a heartbeat, probably mimicking. This new angle provided him with a clear view of Syrene laying beside them.

“How is Syrene?” asked the mage once he had calmed down again. She looked alright but a confirmation would be comforting. The avenger wrapped his arms around Loki before speaking.

“Her breathing’s back to normal. Still out cold tho’.” provided Anthony. His embrace was warm and soothing. Loki could feel himself melting into the contact. “So… can she be trusted?” he asked.

“She does not lie… Never has, to me that is. But she  _ has  _ withheld information. I shall ask her about that when she wakes…” It is not quite the same as lying, but why did she feel the need to hide her doubts about his heritage? If she had suspicions, why not share them with him?! Was she trying to protect him? It did not matter. He had a right to be told. But that was not the primary thought on his mind at the moment… “Anthony… I-I saw my mother…” 

“That’s good, right?” Asked the brown-haired male.

“Yes, but you do not understand… I thought I would never lay eyes on her again… Before imprisoning me, The All-Father promised that I would never see her again and I believed him… Oh, how they tormented me with the memory of her… they would show me time and time again her disappointment and hatred… they would show me how I had failed her. And they were right. I did fail her. She would and should hate me. She is surely extremely disappointed. She should not have sent for Syrene. I… I do not… I do not deserv-” tried to argue the mage when he was interrupted by a tighter embrace. 

“Loki. enough… You are so much more than just worth it… and I'm sure she doesn't hate you. She might be a bit disappointed but she’s your mother. And a mother’s love is unshakable… I’m sure she’s desperate to see you again. And for all my parent’s faults…. I can't say Maria didn't love me no matter what I did… so don't lose hope,  _ Karäste _ .” Assured him the mortal. Loki looked up at the use of the word he had utilized to describe their relationship to Syrene. Did he know its meaning? Was he alright with it?  “J.A.R.V.I.S. translated it for me.” He added, not truly answering any of his questions. Not that he would voice them.

“You always seem to know which words to use to calm my thoughts. Should I be worried of losing my title as wordsmith?” Jested the immortal. They would discuss whatever they shared at another moment. This was not the time. Loki let himself go lip against the chest of Anthony. He could not deny the comfort it brought him to breathe in the aroma he had grown familiar with. Grease, Cologne, and Sex. That irresistible combination would be the end of him. It was the smell of Anthony.  _ His  _ Anthony. Not the facade or portions everyone else saw. 

“Trust me, it only works between us. With everyone else, I always manage to screw things up is the biggest way possible…” the human sounded sad. He truly believed this. He did not realize he should not blame himself entirely for it. Loki would crush those that had made him think that way. “Anyway, it’s been like an hour since you two collapsed and it looked like it’ll take her a while longer to wake so… why don’t you tell me about them? Syrene and your mother. You can start with the shrimp if it’s easier.”

“Well… Syrene and I met when I was but an infant. She taught me many of the things that define me. Gave me some of my most useful tools. We have worked on many things together. She has even developed some of the defense mechanisms that help protect Asgard. She is actually similar to you in many ways, Anthony.” Tried to explain the mage in the simplest way possible. Not because he wished to hide anything. His trip through their shared memories was still too fresh. Pain still lingered. Going into detail would hurt too much.  

“Me?? We couldn’t be more different!” predictably protested the billionaire as he regretfully pulled one of his arms away and placed it on his hip, akimbo. Nevertheless, it was true.

“You may see it that way for now, but I assure you, similarities do exist.” Maybe that was why he had experienced an ease with learning to trust this mortal. But no… it was not just that. There was much more purely from Anthony. Loki used the new found space to lift his heavy arm and with a delicate finger, he began to trace around the light emitting artifact besides his nose. The human it was attached to suddenly tensed. Loki immediately stopped. Was it still sensitive after all this time? It took a few seconds, but the body behind him slowly began to relax. Loki tentatively moved his finger again. Once he was sure Anthony was not tensing up again, he continued his roundings. 

“Pff yeah right.” laughed the inventor, not mentioning what had momentarily happened to uncomfort him. The prince would be sure to ask later more about this curious device. For now, he would answer what he could.

“You both have a strong sense of justice, but your morality is often questioned by those who claim to stand at a higher ground and truly consider themselves to be ‘righteous’. You share a passion for understanding the workings behind everything you encounter. You have the ability to create what others would call magic with your technology. And you hide your insecurities behind your cheerful, selfish and careless facade.” pointed out the mage without missing a beat. By the end, Anthony was pouting. A rather endearing look on his face really. But then it shifted to confusion and it hardened.

“I see... Is that it then? Is that why you like me? Cause I remind you of her?” Questioned the avenger with a bit of poison in his voice. Damn… Loki had screwed up. That much he could tell. Maybe comparing them was not the best of ideas. But even if it had been his own misstep, it stung that Anthony would so quickly assume that Loki would think of him as a replacement or consolation prize of sorts.

Loki pushed his way out of the embrace to look at the human in the eyes as he spoke. “Do not be preposterous, Stark. There are obviously differences between you two. I do not like her in the form you insinuate. And I am offended you would assume I was the same as those who have come before me. You do not mean so little to me and I am not as low as to simply give my affections to someone merely because they remind me of a previous relation. My affections for both of you are very different and I ask you not to have me compare them.” he breathed out in frustration. He knew his anger was not just. He had not given Anthony enough reasons to not doubt him. He was the God of Mischief, it was not bizarre that that could be mistaken for infidelity. But it still wound him… 

“Alright, alright, I’m sorry…” apologized the mortal. He almost looked like a kicked puppy the way he scratched his neck and hung his head. He looked up at the mage from behind his long lashes. Loki sighed again. Why had he not smitten him yet, was beyond him. He had destroyed enemies for far less. He glared at the human for measure as he crossed his arms. It was a slightly awkward position considering he was sitting with his legs forward but his body twisted to look at the avenger. “Oh come on now, don't leave. Stay here. I’m still better tho, right?” insisted Anthony, lifting his arms again in another invitation for an embrace. 

“You are unfathomably infuriating, you do realize this, right?” half-heartedly said the trickster as he gave up and took his place between those welcoming warm arms. 

“I know. And you love it” he could no longer see it, but Loki could almost  _ hear  _ the grin in his voice as he said it.  _ Love.  _ Did he?  _ Could  _ he? To love this man… no, not yet. He would not let himself think of the consequences yet. 

“I would not go as far as to call it that, mortal.” bit back the mage. He tried his best to keep his troubling thoughts from his voice. As he was accustomed to, he hid his worries behind humor. 

“Oh, first it was Stark, and now I’m back to being just mortal, am I? How should I go about changing my status then, my  _ Benevolent King _ ?” purred out Anthony right next to the ear of Loki. it sent a shiver straight down his back left a bit of warmth below his stomach. The playboy clearly knew the effect his words would have. 

“Again with your ridiculous mastery over flattery.” said the prince, shifting slightly so that their faces rested at the same height. 

The human moved a strand of the hair of the mage away from his face as he rightfully bragged. “It’s not flattery, darling. It’s flirting. And it’s totally working.” 

It most certainly was. But, he would not admit it just yet. “I shall judge on that later. I still require more rest.”

“Then, for now, your mom. Tell me about her.” his whole body tensed. Loki was unsure if he was ready for such a thing. He looked straight into the intensity in those eyes. For all his jokes, Anthony was serious about many things, this being one of them. He no longer had his mother and knew perfectly well the pain that brought. Loki could still say his mother was alive, for Frigga would always be his mother, even if she had not given birth to him. But he could not be sure she would accept him as her son again...

“... She… She is an incredibly strong-willed woman... Her affections are unwavering and her compassion is unfathomable. She is agelessly beautiful and ever graceful. She holds vast knowledge on many a subject and she uses it skillfully to help the All-Father maintain the balance between the Nine-Realms. Her mastery and understanding of magic is respected and sought by all who wish to learn of it....” his voice hitched as tears began to roll down his cheeks. “She was among the few who ever enjoyed my mischief and she was the only one to ever encourage my passion for magic and knowledge over combat and conquest. She never was truly angered by my misdeeds, even the worst of them. Stern, but never resentful. A-Always kind.. and loving… I can not.. I am sorry Antho...”

“Shh, it’s okay. It’s fine. Crying is okay. I miss my mom too… I cry for her as well… I… I miss her so so much… Shhh, we’ll be fine. You’ll get to see her again. I’ll get you to her if it’s the last thing I do.” promised the impossible Midgardian. How could he even hope to achieve that? He was about to protest but the pure determination in those brown eyes stopped him.

“Forgive me… I did not mean to make us weep…” apologized for the mage. 

“It’s fine, Loki. Seriously. You don’t have to worry about ‘Looking weak’ in front of me. It’ll all stay between us. No one needs to know. And either way, it’s  _ not  _ weakness to cry. That’s just some Aessier bullshit. Letting yourself feel is important, otherwise you’ll eventually explode.” reaffirmed Anthony as he gently whipped away both their tears. “Enough feels for one day. How about instead we figure out our next move?”

“I agree. We should wait for Syrene… although I have a feeling she is more conscious than she is letting on about…” Loki moved away from Anthony to his obvious displeasure and crossed his arms to stare at his friend. A faint golden orange light passed ever her body as the illusion dissipated. The peaceful sleeping image of the old halfling changed to wide eyes staring at him in feigned surprise. He had long learned to see through her illusions. Just as she could see through his. Her cheeks were slightly tinted from the exertion of rough breathing but the color had left the rest of her. She was not fully recovered but she was conscious and eavesdropping.

* * *

 

_ “Are you certain this will not explode again? You have wasted enough of my time here. I should return to my studies on my bedchambers.” Protested the young Aesir. He did not truly mind staying longer. He could not deny he was entertained. He was also curious to see what the Dwarf was creating. He had seen dwarven forges and he had seen elven magic craftsmanship studios. He had always thought them to be so incredibly different. He had never thought of them being able to intertwine. Yet here, in this room, he could see a hint of both worlds.  _

_ “Hey! I said it’ll work this time! Stop questioning me and be ready to connect the conductors when I tell you to!” Yelled the halfling as she created a portal over on her end. You could see her two halves as she wielded elven spells and infused them with dwarven technology. In her movements, you could see elegance mixed with practicality. One second you could recognize her as something, and the next it was different. One moment she looked like a female dwarf and the next like a male elf. Loki could not understand any of it.  _

_ “Insufferable oaf….”  He looked at her, at how the magic made her short hair waver and wondered how she managed to look so comfortable while being so different? Was it… was it alright to be different? He envied her freedom.  _

_ “I heard that!” Bite back the other mage. It started Loki. He knew she could not mean his mind but it was still unsettling.  _

_ “Okay, here we go.” She shrank the portal she had made and carefully brought it over to the table Loki stood by waiting. He held the conductors in hand and was ready to complete the circle when she instructed. All tease and playfulness left their faces as they looked at each other one last time to confirm they were ready. Once sure, she brought down her hand on the material and released the energy. Quickly, before any wisp of magic could escape, the young prince did his task. Nothing happened for a few seconds as the energy pulsed around its confinement until it suddenly retracted and burst with force and light. Everything was sent hurtling backward in the rush and the young male felt his head collide with something and everything went dark. _

_ Loki drifted between consciousness and oblivion. His head throbbed with the pain from the collision and he could not quite place where he was. His head laid somewhere firm and warm. It was a reassuring feeling but he could not tell what it was. He opened his eyes but everything remained too unclear. He saw golden lights with red accents. He saw hazel eyes framed by concern. After a while, the pain ceased and he was finally able to fully open his eyes but all he saw was the bare ceiling. _

_ “Wha... Dw...Dwarf? Whe-where are you?” Loki got up, careful not to fall off the table he laid on. It was not the soft yet firm warm place he remembered feeling. Had that all been a trick of his mind as he drifted through his unconsciousness? He also immediately noticed his pain was gone. Had the mage done something to him?  _

_ “Dwelf kid, Dwelf… And I think it worked…” said the… Dwelf over by the table behind him. She had a few bruises on her arms and one on her cheek… Had she treated him and not herself? His curiosity over what layed on the table won over his curiosity of their injuries and as such, he walked over and looked down at what they had been working on. _

_ “What… what did we create?” he asked, still unsure of what it could possibly be. _

_ “If my calculations are right. And they always are… don't look at me like that!” Loki could not help the rise of an eyebrow he did at her comment. “Anyway, if I got it right, we’ve rooted dimensional magic into one artifact. A permanent portal attached to a portable solid object.” She explained as she studied the connectors that perfectly encircled the spell and kept it within its boundaries. _

_ “I do not understand. Could you not simply open a portal whenever you are in need of retrieving an object? And are portals not made on solid objects like walls all the time? And why did we attach it to a piece of fabric?”  questioned the young genius. He had recently begun his studies with dimensions and its manipulation magic. While it was true he had much to learn of it yet, he could not quite see the value in this creation. _

_ “Sure, if I have enough energy for it I could build one any time. But this way, I don't waste any energy. Plus it can be used and transported by anyone, even by non-magic-users, with a bit of practice of course. It simple enough even a mere mortal could use it! Theoretically, of course.” excitedly told the more experienced mage.  _

_ “That is… extraordinary. I have never heard of such a thing…” the young royal truly was awed. He knew not if this was the first of its kind. There could possibly be more complex spells that could do the same without the need of technology but nevertheless, it was an inventive idea. _

_ “Just imagine, an infinite bag! And infinite tool pouch or an infinite weapons satchel! The possibilities are endless! You could even hide an entire camp in a small handkerchief!” continued to tell the Dwelf.  _

_ “Or transport an entire army on the cape of a spy.” Loki intercepted, his father would not have liked the idea. ‘No honor in an ambush’.  _

_ She quickly made a face and pointed at him. “Urg, don't violate my creation by thinking of possible violence applications.” her reaction confused him. He expected it to be negative, but not for the same reason.  _

_ “It truly is quite remarkable… if it truly works that is.” taunted the curious boy. He wished to see it in action. There certainly was a sort of joy in seeing the creations of oneself functioning. Loki had only helped on minor details but it did not matter.  _

_ “Don't jinx it, you brat. Now… I’ll drop a few things from my own pockets and we’ll see if it works.” she opened a new portal above the black leather fabric and dropped different things into the pitch black open space in the middle of it. As the objects passed, the conductors glowed a golden orange. The items instantly disappeared one after the other. The red-haired mage closed the portal above and carefully brought her hand inside the remaining open space and was able to pull out one of the objects. It was a large flat circle of metal with a bare tree in its center, its branches and roots touching the edges of the circle. It did not look like the traditional depictions of Yggdrasil. He wondered what it symbolized. “Alright. Small, nonliving things work. Now let's see a living creature... Hmm.” _

_ “A creature? Which shall you use?” innocently wondered the young Aesir. Her eyes locked with his and he could read the clear mischief in them. He had never seen anyone else with such eyes. No one else, besides himself. Had he encountered a similar soul? She braced her hands on the table and leaped, landing right over the dark cloth. Was she planning to…? She could not possibly mean to… Oh, by Odin's Beard,  No! _

_ “Loki, right? Now, let’s see if this works.” No, no no! Loki ran forward but it was too late. _

_ “Name’s Syrene by the way, remember it… Geronimo!” she jumped.   _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We finally get to see what Sy was making! Yay!
> 
> P.S. Copy paste from the top notes, I kinda notice that we've been sorta stuck in the same place for quite a while now... so I'll move ahead with the story in the next chapter. I promise. So so soooo sorry!!


	35. Dreadful Meetings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not okay with Infinity War... it goes without saying this story will not be IW complainant in big aspects.  
> Be sure to check out the notes at the end!

“Friends! How joyful it is to see you again! How fairs Midgard?” asked Thor as he walked into the room. Bruce disliked the idea of lying to the large friendly blonde. They weren't close friends like Tony and he were, but it still felt wrong. And even more so about his own brother…

“Hey, Thor. Things have been… calm around here. Just your typical criminals here and there. How’s Asgard?” asked the cautious Captain as he hugged hello their comrade, the current source of Bruce’s headache.  

“All fares well in the Nine Realms, my friends. I have seen to it myself. Has nothing… otherworldly arrived on Midgard?” asked the older godly brother. Bruce finished placing the dishes in the washer and turned towards them. He was unsure of what to do. He knew he had to keep Loki secret from the Thor. How to do that, now that’s another $20 bucks.

“Nothing threatening, if that’s what you’re asking. Anything we should worry about?” quickly said, Bruce. Damn those two. Why did he have to deal with this alone? He was a scientist, not a spy trained to pry information out of people without them knowing. That was the assassin's job and he wouldn't trust them to really try or say the truth afterward. Well, maybe Romanoff.

“No! No… nothing to my knowledge… and how does the Shield fare?” asked Thor, shifting his attention to both agents. He slightly bowed his head towards Romanoff and clasped Barton’s arm.

“Keeping Earth safe from alien threats.” blurred out the archer. Bruce could feel his heart speeding. Please don’t Clint… this wasn't going to end well.

“Has a threat arisen as of late...?” asked paled faced the alien in the room.

“Not yet.” said the redhead as she looked at the archer. At least she seemed to want to see how things went before saying anything.

“That is… good to hear.” said Thor looking slightly nervous and distracted. He was looking around, trying to find something. Could he be looking for signs that Loki was on Earth? Did he know?

“So, what brings you back, Thor?” carefully asked the scientist. No point in beating around the bush.

The larger blonde focused on him and clasped his arm gently. Everyone was always so careful around him. He appreciated the sentiment, but it only made him feel more at odds. “Banner, it is good to see you. I… have brought back peace to the Nine Realms. I saw it fit that I came back to Midgard now that my task was finished. I have missed you dearly, my friends. Is... Stark present?”

“He’s on a business trip. You just missed him.” casually added Romanoff. It was always impressive and terrifying to see her in action. It was impossible to tell what she was really thinking. It was impossible to tell if she was acting normally or pretending. It was quite fascinating.

“That is most unfortunate. I wished to have words with him as well. Do you know when he shall be back from this business of his? Voice in the ceiling, perhaps you know?” asked the prince tilting his head up.

 _“Mr. Stark took his suit instead of his jet to travel… to Puerto Rico for his business. It’s likely he stays the night over there. It might take one or two days for him to return.”_ Puerto Rico? That’s where they ended? That was about… 2,500 km! Loki’s teleporting abilities reached that far?? He hoped they were alright.

“Rich Port? Where is this Port?” asked Thor. He could speak Spanish? or was it more like he could understand any language? This aliens simply got weirder and weirder the more Bruce knew about them.

“It’s an Island in the Caribbean. I’ve always wanted to go actually. But don’t worry, you’ll see him soon. Let’s focus on lunch now and while we eat you can tell us a bit about what you did around the Nine Realms.” helped supply Bruce as he fixed his glasses.

“Aye! I shall share my merry battles with you, my friends.”

* * *

 

“You caught me…” Admitted the redhead as she carefully pushed herself upward on a sitting position and took her mask off.

“You wish for me to trust you like this? When you pretend to slumber in order to listen to our private conversation?” asked Loki, only mildly annoyed at his friend. He had no need to hide his interest in Anthony now. He could even ask her opinion on certain things. But later. They still had a long way to go… he knew not what her standing was on all that had happened in the past decades.

The Dwelf grinned up at the raven haired male, her mildly sharp dwarven canines showing. “Hey, I just didn’t want to interrupt. I’m nice like that.” she smiled excessively and sarcastically.  

“Rude as ever, I see.” stated the Jotun as he flicked her forehead. Her remembered fondly when he used to be smaller than she and she would do the same to him.

She protested and rubbed the sore spot. “Stuck up as ever, I see… ‘Irksome’? ‘Caused inconvenience’? Really?”

“My words and mind are scattered… I have lost most of what you have taught me…” lamented the younger mage. Having looked back into their shared memories he truly could appreciate all the things he had learned from her. From new forms of magic to self-acceptance, to useful knowledge. He only hoped he had not lost those teachings forever. Anthony behind him placed his hand on his lower back and rubbed small circles. It helped ease the tension in those coiled muscles.

“The brain is a muscle, Kid. You just need a to exercise it a bit. You don’t forget how to ride a bike.” She got off the bed and made the oxygen tank disappear. Most likely to where she had gotten it from. He did not understand the reference but he was more than relieved to see her remain calm even after what she had learned. Could he hope to gain her help?

“Ride a bike?” Questioned Loki, humoring the use of the phrase. He could not help but smile a tad at the finding of yet another similarity between her and his mortal. How they could not see it, was beyond him.

“Sorry, human saying. Point is, it’s all muscle memory. You’ll get your silver tongue back.” Said Syrene as she stretched her arms upward and ruffled her short hair. He was unsure if he could believe that… She looked back at him sharply and added: “Hey, don’t look at me like that, you will, and we’ll help you.”

“Did I just hear you say ‘we’?” Asked Anthony from behind Loki. He did not look very enthusiastic about the change of events. The mage gave him a fond smile. It would not be easy to get them to agree on anything while they kept up their petty fights. Loki looked back at his friend and then at them both with an eyebrow raised.

“Yes, ‘we’. No way in hel am I leaving My Prince’s side, short-beard. So! What’s the plan?”

* * *

 

As soon as he’d seen who was calling, Bruce excused himself and rushed out of the living room to answer. “Tony! Are you two alright? How’s Loki? Are you okay from your anxiety attack?” Frantically asked Bruce.

 _“Bruce, calm down, don’t hulk out on me. I’m fine._ We’re _fine.”_ Said Tony from the other side of the phone. He was sharing a video call and Bruce could see he was in some sort of house. Was that really a house in Puerto Rico? He still couldn’t quite wrap his head around the idea that they ended up so far.

“Sorry, things are just a bit tense here with Thor.” Explained the doctor as he rubbed his temples. You could basically cut the awkwardness with a butter knife.

 _“Is he hostile? He searching for Lokes?”_ Asked the engineer as he moved around and the background image changed. A flash of red passed behind his friend. Had that been a head? Where they with someone? Speaking of redheads.

“Romanoff says he’s looking for him but that he seems more tense than hostile. Also, Thor wanted to talk to you. We think maybe he was hoping you would help him look for Loki with your technology. Is Loki really okay?” Summarized the scientist. He could hear things moving on the other side of the call but he could not spot Loki anywhere. Or was that flash of red Loki? Had he shapeshifted or something? Could he do that with the amount of magic he had?

 _“Copy that. And yes, we’re fine. And we’ve also got a plan. We’re gonna need you to se-HEY! Don’t touch my suit without my permission! Loki! Control the gnome!”_ Shouted Tony from the other side of the phone. Bruce couldn’t see who he was talking to. They had a gnome? Was that the red he saw?

 _“DWELF!! I have a biological explanation for my height. What’s your excuse Mr. Compensating?!”_ Responded a female voice somewhere to the right of Tony. Who was that? A Gnome? Dwelf?? What the hell was going on? Good comeback though.

 _“Oh be quiet already you two! I am making an effort to concentrate here!”_ Shouted the still unmistakably scary voice of Loki from somewhere else. He didn’t sound panicked so that was good. But he sounded angry… that couldn’t be good.

“Ehh…. what’s going on?... who was that?” Asked Bruce, extremely confused. Tony looked back at the camera and very unhelpfully answered.

_“It’s a long story… anyway, here’s what we need you to do.”_

* * *

 

Thor stood near the landing area to await the arrival of Stark, as the voice in the ceiling, ‘Jarvis’, had instructed. He watched as the familiar shape of the Iron suit appeared in the clear skies. It downed different colors. It was not the usual gold and crimson but was different shades of dark grey. A different one perhaps? He watched as his friend circled around the building once and landed on the moving platform. He got off from it and walked towards Thor without removing his armor first.  “Stark. It is good to see you. Have you been well?” he asked, greeting him with a class of arms and hug.

“Hey, Point Break. I’m peachy. How’s things up in fairyland?” spoke the metallic voice of the suit. Why had he not taken off his helmet? He still did not understand most of the mortal technology. It mattered not.

“There is no fair folk on Asgard, Stark. They mostly reside on Alfheim. But the Nine Realms enjoy peace, my friend. I have seen to it myself.” said truthfully the god of thunder. The turmoil he knew came not from the realms, but from his own mind.

“Good good… so… how’s your brother?” unexpectedly inquired the human. The question caught the blond by surprise. Could he possibly know something about his brother?

“...Loki? He… I wish to have honest words with you on the matter… I ask you for discretion, Stark. Please do not alarm the others as of yet… but my brother is no longer incarcerated in the dungeons of Asgard.” admitted Thor. There was no use lying to the mortal if he sought his help in finding his brother. His technology would be most useful in locating him. He knew it might be asking for too much but he could not trust the Shield with allowing him to take back his brother a second time.

Stark seemed to hesitate before replying. “...Did he escape? Where is he?”

“After learning of certain unfair judgments passed down on my brother, the All-Father cast him out to Midgard with a similar sentence to mine… but I believe he will not learn anything from being here. He will manipulate his way around your world before he learns anything, even without the use of his magic. He is too skilled at deception and trickery. I have come to find him to ensure he finishes paying his sentence.” shrilled the older brother. He looked at the mortal to see his reaction and was stricken with the oddity of how he stood. He could not quite point out what it was, but the way he leaned his body on one leg and crossed his arms seemed strange.  

“You’re kidding, right? You wanna throw him back in those dungeons even tho’ you literally just said it was unfair? And ‘unfair’ seems way too light for the bullshit they put him through.” argued Stark… his body continued to not quite match his tone of voice. But how did he know of what the guardsmen did? Had he already found Loki?...

“Under different guardsmen, his punishment shall be just this time... How do you know of what they did to my brother?...” Wait, could Loki be controlling him?! If that was the case, Thor had to save his friend! But how? He did not wish to fight his comrade… the warrior placed his hand near Mjolnir which hung by his thigh. He would first have to remove him from the suit. From there he could easily immobilize the mortal. He could figure out how to undo the spell afterwards.

“You seriously believe that? I knew you were thick but you’re seriously not helping the ‘blondes aren’t dumb’ argument. No matter what you try or who you put, Loki will _never_ be ‘punished justly’ on Asgard. Your sense of justice is screwed up as hell! You’re blind if you can’t see that!” The prince was ready to strike when something odd happened. “Not to mention you’re all a bunch of racist, sexist homophobic assholes! I can’t believe yo-Yo Stark, chill will ya? Not helping.” the metallic voice of Stark changed! The Aesir worried and took Mjolnir in hand. What was going on??

“Sorry sweetheart, but Stark’s taking some time off. So, you’re basically stuck with precious little me… said…whoever was inside the suit as he lifted his arms to open his helmet. Thor hoped to finally see the brown hair and smug smile of his trusted brother-in-arms. Yet he was met with the unpleasant surprise of vibrant red hair and a cocky sharp smile.

“...Syrene?! What is the meaning of this?!” demanded Thor, taking a step forward and pointing his hammer. The wench lifted her arms in mock surrender and the suit around her began to unravel. The source of many of the things wrong with his brother stood in front of him, and unsurprisingly she looked just as unpleasant as he remembered her. She wore her distasteful battle robes that mocked the races she came from. Her dwarven shirt in elven colors. Her elven bracers wrapped in dwarven leathers. Her dwarven tools inscribed with elven magic insignias. Her short hair that insulted her tainted blood and gender. The sight fueled the younger alien with anger. Her amber stare pierced him as she spoke and twirled a small tool, similar to a human ‘wrench’ around her finger.

“Long time no see… Son of Odin…” clipped the dreadful argr half-breed as she fully stepped out of the armor and vanished into thin air, her devilish grin disappearing last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter, I know. Sorry. Still kinda trying to process Infinity War. Please make no spoilers in the comments.  
> Aside from that, I promise this story is not stuck or will be left unfinished at any point. I'm writing this, slowly but surely. Hope you stick around with me 'till the end. *laughs nervously* 
> 
> Loki: Worry not, dear author. Our story is one that writes itself. Is that not right, my lovely Käraste~?
> 
> Tony: The Kama Sutra's got nothing on the crazy shenanigans with come up with, that's for sure. Not to mention, any story with us two, is bound to be exciting!
> 
> Me: Oh boy, this two will certainly get me in trouble~!


	36. Spoken Truths

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Guys! so quick reminder:  
> Please remember to read in between the lines to understand the characters. This story is one of many which is written in each of the character’s different perspectives. Not everything is as it’s written. What someone may see as a monster, might just actually be a regular person. If someone sees someone else as super powerful and evil, they’ll be described that way. But it will not necessarily always mean that that is how they are. With this particular writing style, you have to see beyond before judging a character… now to continue with the story!
> 
> P.S. We've reached 1500 Kudos guys! Thank you soooo much!! I legit never expect any of this! Hugs and Kisses for everyone! And cookies from Loki! *Loki grunts and swats Tony's hand as he continues to eat the cookie dough*

“Syrene! Where are you?! Is this scheme designed by Loki? Have you two captured Stark?!” Yelled the big oaf as Syrene walked around the platform, cloaked by her illusions.

“Relax, Odinson, the human’s nowhere he doesn’t wanna be, he’s safe. And this ‘scheme’ is more of a team effort honestly.” She said with an unseen grin. Her Prince was right where he wanted to be, next to Stark. She had to admit that after seeing his memories, she could see why Loki was so interested in the mortal. She still didn’t very much like him but if he made Loki happy… she would accept him, for now.

“Where is Loki? I must have words with him immediately! Show yourself!” She silently stood close to the Aesir’s side. No way in hel she would tell either of them that obviously. She was gonna make Stark’s life hell before she acknowledged anything. To test his worthiness of course.

“So I can get a face full of sweaty hard hammer? Ew, no thanks, I’m good.” As soon as she spoke, Thor whirled around to find her and grabbed at air. The Dwelf had already moved to his other side. “As to where Loki is… we’ll get there, but first, what’s your plan? You drag Loki back, throw him in a cell, then what?” She questioned as she ducked to avoid Mjolnir’s straight trajectory towards her face.

“He shall receive proper judgment!” He yelled in frustration, catching the weapon as it came back. Syrene sat by the platform and formed a few holograms to walk in her place. One became visible on the edge of the large balcony.

“And what’s that? Torture? Rape? Bit of both?” Thor predictably went to grab the duplicate and it dissolved in his hands. Another appeared. “I think Loki’s suffered enough already. Sure, he should do more to repent but he can’t do anything from a dungeon cell.”

“What? What vulgar things do you speak of, witch?” Syrene’s eye twitched. Oh boy, how she wished she was allowed to strangle him. She sadly promised Loki she would behave.

“Let me guess. They didn’t tell the perfect little prince about the nasty gruesome details behind those ‘unjust’ punishments, did they? Oof! Careful there.” yelped the redhead as she leaped sideways to avoid some lightning. She had to be careful, he was slowly figuring out how to track her. He was a big oaf but he wasn't completely stupid. “Well, big news buddy. You’re about to get the R-rated version! While you were off saving the Nine Realms, Loki was being humiliated, deprived of food and water, physically, mentally and emotionally abused, tortured and raped.”

Syrene created a few more visible illusions and ducked behind one of the couches in the balcony. She was starting to get tired. “While you were off playing hero with your little warrior friends, Loki was being broken day in and day out, over and over, until he couldn’t take it anymore… and even then, they still pushed him further. So tell me what the fucking hel more do you think he should be punished?”

“You lie! You know not what you speak off. The All-Father would never allow such things to happen to his son. Where is my brother? I demand to see him!” bellowed the Aesir with a roar as dark clouds began to circle the sky. This was bad. It was getting out of hand. But Syrene would not stand for her knowledge being questioned. She had spent years being questioned and underestimated simply for being a ‘dirty half breed’. She’s had enough. She reached into the tool bag strapped to her right thigh and called out into the pocket dimension. She remembered when she had created it oh so long ago with her Prince. Their first encounter and creation together. She called into the void for her crossbow and pulled it out when she felt it’s hilt touch her fingertips. She reached in again and called out for one of her net balls.

She came out of her hiding spot and shot at the god. The net wrapped around him quickly. She walked towards him and spoke. “I don’t know what I speak off?? My Prince shared with me his memories! Yeah, you heard me. Never question my knowledge Aesir. And your precious father? He didn’t even notice what they were doing, and when he did, he just tossed Loki to Midgard as a cheap ass fix to the problem. That’s called neglect in any book… ‘Don’t know what I speak off’ pff yeah right, I saw it all big guy!”

Thor struggled with the net as he accused. “Enough with your lies and wicked tricks! I blame you most of all for leading Loki down such twisted ways!” he harshly said as he destroyed the net with lightning. Syrene covered her face to protect herself and felt the sting of a piece of metal cut her forearm.

She growled and prepared to attack “Oh that’s it! I swear I’ll Ki-OW!” when suddenly something forcefully grabbed her from behind. “Let go of me!“ she demanded as the Iron Man suit closed around her.

 _“Okay that’s enough you two.”_ said the metallic voice of the suit, both inside the helmet and outside of it.

“Stark? Are you alright?” asked the stupid blonde who was obviously still confused.

 _“Hey there again, buddy. I'm fine, don't worry. While I, for the first time since we met today, agree with short stack in here. We need to deal with this calmly before my tower suffers godly tantrums… Thor, everything she said is true. There was_ **far** _more than enough... evidence on Loki’s body when he crashed on Earth to prove it… we’ve been taking care of him for some time now and most of the team agrees that none of it was fair and he should not have to be punished anymore for anything. He should do things to repent but like Syrene said, not from a jail cell… if it helps in anything, he’s already broken part of the seal that your dad forced on him. Let him continue to heal and help out here.”_ calmly resumed the mortal. It annoyed her to hear him in control. He’d been the first one to snap and now he was acting like he was the mature one…

“Man if Iron, I wish I could trust your words but I have no way of knowing if they are truly yours or if they come from Loki… tell me where he is now and I will confirm with him.” conceded the judgemental asshole. From inside the helmet, Syrene could hear Stark ask Loki’s opinion and heard her Prince respond. Their conversation could not be heard on the outside speakers.

 _“He agrees only to a parley. You are to leave behind Mjl... mio… oh, your stupidly named hammer. The parley shall take place on a… neutral space pocket. You can do that? Wow… anyway just step into the portal cloth thingamajig dwarfy here will take out and we’ll be waiting on the other side. Don’t kill each other will ya?”_ warned the human as he remotely opened the suit. Syrene stepped out and eyed the other god. They glared at each other for a while before she reached for inside her tool bag and took out a large cloth. She took out two daggers and pinned the portal cloth to the wall.

“Ladies first.” she mockingly motioned for the thunder god to go first with a bow. He growled at her to which Syrene simply responded by tearing the cloth of the wall and throwing it over him, laughing at the thought of him face-planting right into the floor when he arrived.

* * *

“Brother!” The large figure of Thor tumbled through the portal that stood amongst vast darkness and emptiness. The space they stood in was completely void of anything. There was no roof, no walls, or light. Yet they could clearly see each other and the lumbering oaf that fell in face first.

To a naive mind, untrained in the ways of magic, it would appear he had hit a glass flooring that had swirling black liquid and mist underneath. But in this particular dimension, there was no flooring either. They simply remained existing in this space and constructed in their minds a believable environment. It was a place were reality consisted only of the limitations of their minds… but the infinite possibilities here were not their reasoning for meeting in such place.

Syrene walked inside afterwards, stepping right on the man on the floor. She quickly darted away before he could catch her, to his displeasure. Loki could feel the small displacement in space that indicated she had teleported beside him. The blonde male stood up and went straight to embrace Loki, as he usually would, to the uncomfort of Loki. But as older brother touched the younger one, his arms passed right through him.

“When will you not fall for that… brother?... For our mutual sakes… Syrene has kept us at a distance and projected our image near your location… We are in the same space but we shall remain hidden and out of reach until we coincide with some sort of agreement…” spoke Loki, avoiding the hurt look on the eyes that sought for truth.

“Brother please, I only wish to know of your wellbeing. How much of what the witch speaks of is true?” rudely pleaded his once brother. The younger god took in a deep breath, counting backwards from ten in his mind. Dr. Banner had thought him to do it to help calm himself. He could not deny its effectivity.

“She...Syrene speaks the truth… All of it.” That was all that he could manage to say without his careful mask shattering into oblivion.

“Brother I-I… I was unaware…” stuttered the god of thunder as he lowered his gaze. He looks, as Anthony would say, ‘like a kicked puppy’.

“She only gave you the light overview, big guy. Save the pity party for when you get the full story. There’s far more to what those disgusting assholes did… May I?” asked the mortal, referring to the tablet he held in hand. Loki gave him a small nod and gestured for him to step forward. He was more than happy to step back and collect himself.

Anthony stood by his side instead. The look in his eyes indicated that he was not going to let Loki do this alone. That he would both figuratively and physically stand by him. “J. Project and play back the first medical scan report you gave me when we found Loki in the crater.”

_“Playing recording: “Very well, Sir. Mr. Loki seems to suffer severe hemorrhaging. Some of his organs are on the verge of shutting down. He has 3 fractured ribs, has one collapsed lung, his left shoulder is dislocated and has multiple fractures along the arm. His rectum is severely wounded, having some of the muscles ripped and bleeding. He has also suffered a concussion that has him on the verge of unconsciousness.”_

_“Damn, did the Hulk play Bob the Builder and use him as the hammer? Why's his magic not healing him?”_

_“The test you issued comparing the magical readings S.H.I.E.L.D. and our own databanks gathered, and his current readings, suggest he will not be able to, Sir. His magical powers are significantly lower by 88%. If treatment is not administered with the utmost urgency, he will die.” Recording concluded.”_ replayed and concluded J.A.R.V.I.S.

“And that’s just the _physical_ abuse. The psychological damage was _way_ worse. Torture leaves a permanent scar. Stuff like anxiety, depression, PTSD, nightmares, insomnia, memory lapses, social withdrawal, emotional flatness, heada-” rambled on Anthony until Loki interrupted him.

“Stark...” he urged.

“It’s Tony. Ah sorry, force of habit. I mean right… said too much… the point tho’ _is_ , that torture is _never_ an acceptable punishment method.” accused the engineer crossing his arms.

“Enough… none of it matters at this moment… Why have you sought me out? Do you intend to bring me back against per the words of the All-Father?” queried the mage, trying on a mask of disapproval to hide his fear.

“No… not if what you speak of is true… Loki please, tell me the names of those who have harmed you as such. I shall personally rip their spines from their bodies…” threatened his once brother abruptly stepping forward with a formed fist. The sudden movement startled Loki, reminding him too much of the many things that face had done to him in his hallucinations and tortures. It made him tumble backwards in panic. Both Anthony and Syrene prevented him from falling by extending an arm and supporting his back.

Thor looked shocked at the reaction and everyone remained quiet for a little while. Anthony broke the silence with a proposal. “I’ll help ya Point Break. I got a look at two of them at least.”

“You will do no such thing.” quickly scolded the younger mage.

“What? Why??” “Why not?” argued both Anthony and Thor at the same time, his mortal turning to face him and crossing his arms again.

“There is no justifiable reason to allow you to do such a thing.” Said Loki, mimicking his mortal with crossed arms.

“No reason?! You got tortured and raped! That’s more than enough fucking reason!” Cursed Anthony… it brought up a topic which neither wanted to touch… the difference in their lifespan… no, he could not focus on that at the moment.

“Such a crude way would only bring problems. To begin with, if a mortal were to kill an Aesir official, it would unravel a massive political issue. And if the crown prince of Asgard were to kill his own guardsmen for no valid reason, it would not do well for your reputation and would bring distrust with your own subjects and the other Realms.” Countered the god of mischief, all too well aware of the consequences of rash decisions.

“For no reason? What the hell do you mean for no reason? Being illegal and wrong in so many ways should be reason enough! No one deserves that!” Yelled the inventor. His harsh tone made Loki cringe and look away. He knew that anger was not directed at him but it still made him uncomfortable to see or hear it.

Anthony seemed to notice and his whole body soon deflated. The human locked eyes with the prince, making sure it was safe to approach. When Loki confirmed it was, Anthony stepped in closer, slowly grabbed the arms of the mage, rubbed them and turned him towards himself. “Sorry I… Loki, so long as I live, I won’t let anyone hurt you. But I can’t live with the thought that those fucking bastards will live for thousands of years after I die…!”

“...While your words mean to me immensely... There are no laws that dictate that what they’ve done is in any way illegal. There’s no equivalent to what mortals call ‘Human Rights’ on the other eight realms. I studied the laws from each realm as a child. I have worked with and around them many a time. Asgard, for all its bouts, uses then purely out of convenience. Even if my actions did not truly defy any laws, I was incarcerated. There is no hope that anything would be done in my favor by the court, even if what they did was truly considered illegal… with this I ask again, do not dwell on such fruitless ideas. The court would sooner blame me for your justice than accept anything you were to say.” Finally explained the younger mage. He unwinded his arms and placed one of his hands on the hip of the baffled man. Turning to face the older Prince, he continued.

“... back to the matter at hand… I do not wish to return to Asgard. I shall remain here with Stark if he would allow it.” Thor looked between them and their contact and made a displeased face.

“Of course you're welcomed to stay, Lokes. I think I can even pull some strings and get your name cleared on earth so that you can help out without having to hide it. I kinda have a theory that doing it in secret makes the seal breaking process slower.” Anthony noticed it as well. But instead of backing away and pretending it meant nothing like Loki expected, he brought them closer, bumping their hips together and grabbing his waist.

“Thank you… Anthony. What are your thoughts… brother?” Loki hesitates un calling the mortal by his name because of the implied intimacy… but if the brunet was willing to publicize it… he was willing to do it as well. He looked at Syrene, remembering her many teachings of ‘never hiding one’s true self’. She smiled at him and gave him a small nod.

“... could I have words with Stark, alone?” Asked for Thor. He looked directly at his fellow Avenger. Loki dreaded what they would speak but he knew he could not stop it. He trusted Anthony…. but not Thor.

“Sure, Point Break. How do we do that tho’? I’m still not 100% sure how this space inception pocket works, yet. Clear emphasis on then _yet.”_ Humored the shorter hero. Loki lightly squeezed his waist, not wanting to let go. The engineer turned towards him once again and held them close.

“Don’t worry, Lokes, it’s fine… nothing he says will change anything.” He comforted in vain. A lump formed in the throat of the mage. He swiftly made a hand gesture that glew green with his magic and from the perspective of the Aesir, they remained still. Syrene could still see them but he cared not. Nor did he have enough energy to fool her.

Loki closed the distance between their bodies and grabbed Anthony by the back of the head. At the touch, the human closed his eyes, tilted his head back, and stood on his toes. Loki took in a rough breath and locked their lips. He slowly bent Anthony, making their bodies perfectly aline with the ferocity of their repressed desires. Anth… By the Gods… Tony dug his nails into the back of Loki ground circles between their hips.

Loki could feel his restraints pull at his core and regretted having to part with that savory mouth. They rest their foreheads together as their labored breaths regained stableness. Loki opened his eyes to stare right into brown pools blown wide with pleasure. The younger prince straightened and placed a gentle kiss right on the spot their foreheads had connected. Anthony responded with granting him a kiss of his own. Right below his left eye where a previously unnoticed tear had run loose.

Their disguise disappeared and they were left with answering the frowning warrior. “… Syrene will displace our image and leave only Anthony behind so that you may have words.”

Thor simply nodded in acknowledgment. Loki took a few steps back and awaited for Syrene. He watched mournfully as dark mist rose from their feet and they vanished… would he lose Anthony?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, what will happen now that our boys are separated? 
> 
> P.S. On a completely unrelated topic... I suck at coming up with titles. X'D
> 
> P.P.S. Still not over Infinity War...
> 
> P.P.P.S I have no idea if it's correct to just keep adding Ss to the P.S. but fuck it. (Edit: Thanks divinecrone for pointing out the correct way!) 
> 
> P.P.P.P.S. Pride Month is coming up soon! READY THE RAINBOW CANONS!!!
> 
> P.P.P.P.P.S. Oh and I commisioned for Syrene to be drawn! I'll be adding that in later chapters plus on the first chapter she appears on. So excited!
> 
> As always, comments, kudos, and constructive criticism are always welcomed and appreciated! We've reached 1500 Kudos guys! Thank you soooo much!!


	37. Home Sweet Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so... Imma be completely honest... I had a breakdown two nights ago... and it hasn’t been the first in a while... so yeah. Life’s kinda shitty at the moment. Having a really hard time finding motivation. I’ve had most of this chapter for quite a while but I just couldn’t bring myself to finish editing it and post it... so it’s probably not that good anyway. Sorry for the long wait. Can’t promise that the next will be out in the next few weeks but I can promise that I’m not abandoning this fic... it’s just gonna take me time. So yeah, if you still wanna stick with me and keep reading then I’m very veeeery grateful. Thank you all for being so amazing.

“What’s up Mean Swing?” greeted Tony when he saw the image of Loki and Syrene disappear.

“Stark... are you positive you are not under his control? The magic of my brother is powerful. Enough to make you think you act out of your own free will, but it is only his that you truly follow.” began trying to explain Thor, but Tony wouldn’t have it. They didn’t have time for this.

“Look, you can't fool technology the same way you can fool a person, Thor. Had I seemed like I was being controlled, J.A.R.V.I.S. would’ve immediately warned me and if I had been too far gone, he would have alerted the other Avengers. I’m not doing anything I don't wanna be doing. And even if he could fool J. Using a spell of that magnitude would severely deplete him of energy. That’s just a fact. He would pass out simply from simply maintaining it, let alone instruct me to do anything.” argued the engineer. He only half focused on the conversation. He was too busy remembering the two mages’ explanation of how this place worked. It apparently worked purely on thoughts and imagination. He could do anything as long as he could think of it. He began to experiment with that. He walked around, and a set of dark stairs rose from the pitch black solid waters. They looked just as weird as the not-floor. They flowed and dripped like liquid, yet swirled like gas. He walked forward and tested them. Seeing as they were solid enough, he began to climb them. Thor seemed to know where they were since he didn’t seem surprised. Bummer.

“He does not need his magic to manipulate you, Man of Iron. He is the God of Mischief and Lies. He is magnificently skilled at twisting his words to get what he wants. His Silvertongue is sharp and he is a master Liesmith. Known throughout the Nine Realms for his deceits. You would not notice the web of lies he ties around you until you are suffocated by them.” grumbled the big blond obviously from first-hand experience. The human continued to walk around, enjoying being on higher ground than the tall god. He made a high platform with a railing and leaned on it.

“Thor... you can’t fake the kinds of wounds that he had. Bruce patched him up himself! He said if he’d been human, he would have died long ago. Oh, and let's not forget I’m one of the smartest humans on Earth. Stop underestimating me and stop villainizing your brother… Pff, as if I would fall for it with how paranoid I am.” dismissed the shorter man with a throw of one of his arms over his head.

“Can you not see he is enticing your heart? I have seen him romanticize others for his own gain. You would be but one in many he has played with. He does not love you. He is incapable of love. He does not feel the way he says he does. He may truly have been… tortured… but now he intends only to gain your favor for your status and resources.” argued the ignorant blond.

“Look…” Tony said before creating a ramp towards the alien and sliding down towards him. He stood right in from of Thor, at his eye level with a bit of help from the magic matter, and stated. “I don’t care what you think. I don’t care what he’s done and I don’t care what he used to be like. I’ll judge him by who he’s trying to be now. And so far, he’s doing great... He’s more than capable of love and what we feel… whatever it is, it's _very_ real. So don’t you dare come here and say it isn't. The only thing you need to do is you need to decide on what side you’re on. Me? I’m with Loki and I won't let you take him back to Asgard. So you’re either gonna help me clear his name or you’ll be in my way and I won’t stand for anything being in my way.” threatened the human. Thor stood unmoved. It irritated Tony to see no reaction from him but mild surprise.

“Loki is not one to be underestimated. I only wish to warn you, for I care for you, my friend. Do not taint your honor by falling for his argr ways.” insisted the Aesir. Tony simply rolled his eyes.

“Argr? Okay, I’ve heard that more than once now. What the hell is that?” Questioned the mortal as he rubbed his temples. He would kill for a drink right now.

“Argr is a man who practices shameful and dishonorable acts. Practicing magic, using seiðr, or being bedded by another man… those are all the worst acts a man could partake in. Loki may be my brother, but he lacks honor. He has practiced these things and more without regret for most of his life… it is all the fault of that wench. She thought him such things. If he were not a Prince, he long would have been challenged to holmgang… and most likely found guilty or lost.” fretted the god.

“Okay, stop. Are you serious right now? You’re not pulling some Sike Prank show on me, right? You guys are seriously _that_ messed up? That’s all so sexist and homophobic! Let me guess, women are supposed to stay at home, cooking and taking care of the family?” joked the engineer. But when Thor didn’t seem to see it as that way, Tony’s jaw dropped. He was unable to even process what the hell he was hearing? How could anyone actually believe any of that? It was sick!

“Oh, for fuck's sake…” he took in a deep breath. “Look, Thor. We humans? Sure, we used to have that Argr shitshow you mentioned, and our women used to stay at home and take care of the families. But nowadays things are _very_ different… You need to understand that if you _ever_ hope to understand your brother...” that caught his attention. Thor always did say how he wished to understand his brother. How it pained him that he didn’t notice his resentment until too late.

“Loki’s staying here. We’re gonna keep helping him recover and we’re gonna clear his name. Nothing you say will change my mind, okay? He’s not controlling or manipulating me, so you have nothing to worry about. Everything’s under control. So, leave, go to Jane or something, and tell her to help you do some research on the Gay and Feminist community. When you’re done, come back to us. But only when you’ve understood equality and you’re ready to help. Loki’s not going anywhere anytime soon. We’ll both protect him and protect others from him, if necessary. Got it? So just leave for now and let us deal with this.” Offered the human. He wasn’t gonna be the one to explain it to him. Fuck that. But he had to learn. And if someone could make him understand, it would be Jane Foster.

“I trust you, my friend… Because of this, I shall do as you say and leave for now to do this research. If what you say is true and this will help me understand my brother… I must try it. But I warn you. As long as that wench is around, Loki will revert to his old habits. Do not trust her. If anything goes amidst, contact me immediately.” Said the god of thick-headedness in what he probably thought was a commanding voice. Like Tony ever followed orders.

“I won’t. I’ll deal with anything that happens.” Clearly stated the shorter Avenger as he mentally dissolved the platform and stairs and stood back on even ground. Well, imagined ground. This place was pleasantly complex. He would definitely ask those two to take him back here.

“Before I leave I wish to have more words with Loki… Brother? I know you hide among the shadows!” Loudly spoke the Thundercat.

“Shadows would involve light, and since there’s no light in this place…” Spoke from nowhere Syrene’s voice. As she paused, dark smoke and liquid swirled upwards into two spirals. They took a humanoid shape and became Loki and the damn show-off. “There’s no shadows, only dark matter.” He would so figure out how to do that one.

“Brother, please allow me to see the sealment mark...” asked for the taller prince. Loki hesitated, but after a few moments he rolled up the sleeve of the dark green turtleneck Syrene had magically lent him back in the house. Thor looked at it without touching his arm, apparently not completely oblivious.  Some of the symbols that floated around his bicep like a hologram were now burned into his skin from overexertion. “Are you healing well?” he asked.

“Yes, Thor. I am fine.” Retorted the younger alien as he hastily covered his arm again. Tony would have to talk to him about the seal later. Not to mention the fact that he hadn’t mentioned he even had it before. But that wasn’t important at the moment. What mattered right now was that Tony figured out how the hell she could manipulate their bodies with the dark waters. Like he could get manipulating the mater alone but they could manipulate their own constitution as well here? Huh? That wasn’t the important thing right now? Ahhh, right, right, their conversation.

“Then… I shall take my leave for the time being. I will return after I have acquired the knowledge the Man of Iron has told me to seek.” Said the big guy. Aham. Anyway. Oh! He got it!

Tony manipulated the matter around him, remembering it was not really a floor or water. It was all around them. He manipulated the matter around him to become just as dark as the rest, making it seems as he was invisible. Thor’s eyes blew open, obviously wondering where he had gone. The human quickly ran behind him and said ‘Boo’ in a low voice. As the thunderer turned around to find him, the inventor ran to Loki’s side, swirled the matter around him to create the effect he had seen Syrene use and became visible. Loki simply looked beside himself and smiled fondly while Thor seemed surprised. Tony sure knew which god didn’t underestimate his capacities.

The redheaded mage snorted and applauded him, obviously impressed. She grabbed her tree pendant and smiled at Loki. The dark-haired prince looked back at her and smiled more brightly. What was that about? After a few unspoken words were exchanged between those two, she opened her leather drop leg bag and pulled out a long sheet of cloth. When she released it, it floated in the air, like a flying carpet door. “Step right up Goldilocks. Portal straight to New Mexico.”

“If anything were to happen to my brother… I will hold you personally responsible and hunt you down.” Threatened Point Break right before stepping through. That wasn’t ominous at all. At least now they could go back to the tower.

“Well then! How about getting out of here before the high concentration of Dark Matter starts affecting the human?” advised the shorty. Wait…

“Wow wow wait… You don’t mean actual Dark Matter, right? As in _Dark Matter_ dark matter?” blurted the engineer, going crazy with theories and possibilities! “Is that what this is?? But how are we able to interact with it? And shape it? Holy shit!”

“Oh boy, your scientist have no idea what they’re doing. They’re still thousands of years too behind on that mystery. Blame the All-Father for considering humans too primitive to explain to them that one. But yeah, you could say magic is dark matter manipulation using dark energy, in _very veeeery_ layman's terms, that is. Come on, time to go.” Completely and utterly unhelpfully explained the apparent god damn _Dark Matter Manipulator!!_

“What? Wait but I need a sample! How do I get a sample??” nearly pleaded the scientist. Not that he would ever actually plead to her. He was just very strongly demanding.

“Anthony…” whispered Loki.

“Huh? Babe, I need a sample, this could revolutionize physics and our understanding of the creation of the universe!” exclaimed the human, barely missing the paleness in the younger god’s face right before he fainted. Tony caught him in the nick of time before he hit the not-floor. He was cold to the touch. “Loki! What’s wrong?”

“He’s exhausted himself. He needs rest. Let’s get him back to the tower and into a bed.” Explained the Dwarf. Tony put his arm under the pale man’s legs and lifted him up and tripped. What the fuck? He’s gotten waaaay heavier than he remembered. Syrene looked back at them and rolled her eyes. She passed her hand over them and suddenly Tony could lift Loki again. Okay? The engineer steadied himself and walked towards the portal the conscious mage was reorienting. She instructed him that for the portal to work, he had to think of his room in the tower and to envision it as he stepped through. When she gave the okay, she grabbed his shoulder and followed and they portaled directly beside his bed.

 _“Welcome back, Sir. Should I inform the others of your arrival? And how may I catalog our newest visitor?”_ asked his faithful AI. The Midgardian set Loki down on the bed and answered.

“Plain friendly status for now. And don’t tell the others yet. Just Bruce. Ask him to come over actually. But later.” He instructed as he rearranged the pillows and was mesmerized by how those dark curls looked like spilled ink in contrast to the white sheets.

“The ‘Friendly’ status I’m flattered with, but the pain part seems kinda unfitting. I’m anything but plain, honey.” Interrupted the damn elf as she actually dared to sit on his bed, by Loki’s other side.

“Well surprise surprise, I don’t care. And I still don’t trust you, Ginger. So off my bed before I take the friendly part out and set my defenses against you.” He threatened. To his displeasure, she seemed not to care much.

“So original. And I must help My Prince, so I’m staying.” She bit back. Did her eyes just get brighter? Like glowy? Was that an alien thing?

“Ha! No way sister. You’re not touching him ‘till Bruce gets here.” He stated, storming over to the other side of the bed and looking down at the redhead.

“I only intend to share with him my energy so that he may get better sooner...” she clarified as she slowly, damn gracefully, stood up. “Stop being a jealous kid and consider Loki’s wellbeing.”

Even considering she was smaller and looked much younger, Tony was well aware she was no child. Up close he could feel the power radiating from her, much like Loki’s did back when they first faced off in his penthouse. It made every hair on the back of his neck rise. Dealing with angry magical beings was like playing with fire… or more accurately radioactive matter. Every fiber in his body yelled at him to flee. But he couldn’t. He had to be careful. “…I _am_ considering his wellbeing. That’s why I’m having a doctor familiar with his current condition look at him.”

Golden wisp of magic began to round her clenched hands. The lighter tips of her short hair rose up, or more like floated and light up faintly. Made it seem like dancing fire. “If it was not because the loss of you would affect Loki too negatively right now, and that he can recover without my help… I would have slit your throat by now…” She threatened. Tony was in deep shit without his suit if she attacked. But he was pretty sure she wouldn’t with Loki so close. Things around her calmed down and she spoke again. “Have your berserker doctor look at him... I’ll go back to my place and get some stuff I need. I won’t be gone too long.”

“You aren’t needed here right now so don’t bother coming back. We’ll call you when you’re needed.” Dismissed Tony. The sooner she left, the sooner he and Loki could work things out.

“You have no say in that matter, kid. I will return when Loki wishes for my return.” Declared the mage as she dug into her drop leg bag and pulled out one of those portal cloths. She jumped right in and pulled the corner of the cloth in, making it collapse in on itself. How that didn’t create a black hole was beyond him.

“We’ll see.” The human said into the silence.

The god laying on the bed stirred and fluttered his eyes open. “An… Anthony…?” he called out.

“Hey there darling. How you feeling?”  asked Tony as he sat on the bed beside him.

“As… As if I have laid with a raging hormonal Bilgesnipe…” joked the taller man. He lifted himself up and got in a sitting position beside the Midgardian.

“Don’t know what those are but sounds unpleasant.” The engineer humored him.

“Unpleasant beings in general… I see we have returned to the Tower. Where is Syrene?” questioned Loki. Damn why was he so quick to be perceptive?… and why did Tony find that hot?

“Went to back Puerto Rico to do something but I told her she can stay over there ’till we call that we need her.” Explained the playboy, not very thrilled to be talking about that red smurf.

“Oh… I see…” said Loki in a low voice. He was obviously disappointed she had left… and now Tony felt like an ass. Even if he didn’t like her, she was still Loki’s friend… “But I’m glad we have returned home.”

Did… did Loki just say home? The god seemed to notice what he had said and immediately panicked. His eyes flew open and his mouth parted as he tried to find excuses but nothing came out, just mumbled sounds. But the human quickly shut down his worries with a smile. “Yeah, it’s good to be home.”

Loki’s jaw dropped slightly as his eyes glassed over. But those lips quickly pressed together and the corners rose upwards in a faint smile. The mage jumped over him and crashed their mouths together. It was a bit more painful than pleasant but Tony laughed anyway.

He brought Loki’s leg over his lap to have him properly straddling. The engineer placed his arms around that slender waist and brought them impossibly closer. The mage threw his head back and let out a throaty chuckle from that exposed pale neck. He looked back down and brought their foreheads together, dark curls cascading around their faces, hiding them from all their worries.

“Home Sweet Home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Idk what I did in this chapter... guess the place they were in is me kinda describing how my mind feels at the moment. Except I made it fun instead of terrifying. Or I at least tried to. Aaaanyway. 
> 
> As always! Kudos, bookmarks and comments always appreciated! Still waiting on that Syrene commission I talked about some chapters ago.


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